Why Affect Theory Matters to Hong Kong Diaspora Studies?
Workshop for Graduate Students
Friday, 31 January 2025 | 14:00 to 16:00 EST | Room 626, Sixth Floor, Kaneff Tower, Keele Campus, York University
With Peter Lok
The Hong Kong Studies Group workshop explores the intersection of affect theory, cultural studies and Hong Kong Studies. We will examine the roles of affects and emotions, discussing concepts such as "precarity", "politics of emotions" and "spiritual misery." Participants will engage with critical questions about the productive and destructive roles of affects, their implications for populism, and their influence on today's Hong Kong Diaspora. This in-person workshop aims to foster a rich dialogue on the significance of affect in Hong Kong diaspora studies. Participants are encouraged to read the Preface and Chapter 4 of the speaker's book titled, Emotional Capitalism: From Emotional Dictatorship to Emotional Redemption (which will be sent to workshop registrants) before the workshop to be ready to engage in a rich discussion.
Dr. Peter Lok is an independent scholar with a focus on Hong Kong Culture, Cultural Studies, and Contemporary Continental Philosophy. He has a PhD in Philosophy from Free (Vrije) University, Amsterdam and M.Phil. in Comparative Literature from the University of Hong Kong. Previously, he held the position of Program Head of Cultural Studies and Creative Industries Program at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Dr. Lok has authored several publications, including Emotional Capitalism: From Emotional Dictatorship to Emotional Redemption (FF Books 2024), 情感資本主義：從情感獨裁到情感救贖 (Dirty Press 2020) and 邊緣上的香港：國族論述中的後/殖民想像 (InPress Books 2016).
Please register to attend using this link.
Attendees are encouraged to join us before the workshop to celebrate Lunar New Year and attend the launch of the Graduate Student Support Fund for Research on Hong Kong Diasporic & Immigrant Communities in Canada.
Click this link for more information on the Hong Kong Studies Group.
For more information: ycar[at]yorku.ca.
