Orientation and atmosphere: Toward an anthropology of political subjectivity

Political subjectivity is of growing interest within anthropology. In this article, I argue that within any political ethos, the constitution of political subjectivity takes place at the nexus of orientation and atmosphere. In this formulation, orientation defines subjectivity's intentional directionality in terms of value and desire, while atmosphere defines the socioemotional space in which that orientation takes place in terms of power and position. Drawing on research that utilizes an ethnographic, feminist, phenomenological, and psychodynamic approach, the article argues that the concepts of orientation and atmosphere can be leveraged to get a better purchase on understanding political subjectivity. Empirically, I show this across an array of situations, including political violence, incivility, gendered inequity, psychotic affliction, natural disaster, and the development of political awareness. Conceptually, I show that examining processes of self and will, empathy and power, denial and repression at the nexus of orientation and atmosphere can advance the theorization of political subjectivity within psychological anthropology and allied fields.