Civic preparation begins at home—not just in what we’re told, but in what we feel. From preparing to vote to processing political news at the kitchen table, our homes shape how we move through civic life. This module explores how emotional symbolism, representation, and morale create the felt sense of citizenship, and asks: when it comes to preparing the public, what matters more—what a leader does, or what they represent?
Our political lives begin—and in many cases end—at home.
From the way we process news in solitude, to how we talk about politics with family or friends, to the small rituals of voting day (commuting, dressing, texting, coming home again), civic life is shaped by domestic rhythms. For many of us, civic engagement is something we feel before we act—morale, symbolism, outrage, representation. But unless we actively pursue community work or political labor, most of our engagement happens privately: watching election coverage on the couch, scrolling headlines while doing the dishes, or wondering what to tell our children about what’s happening in the world.
This module explores the domestic life of democracy—not as a metaphor, but as a literal foundation. What kind of civic preparation happens in our homes? How does emotional infrastructure shape what we believe is possible, or worth fighting for? What prepares us to participate in public life—and what keeps us from doing more?
At the heart of this inquiry is a simple premise: the conditions that form citizens are not only political—they are emotional, symbolic, and deeply domestic.
Core Questions
- What prepares people to participate in democracy, and where does that preparation happen?
- What is the emotional labor of citizenship?
- When we vote, are we expressing personal values, social alignments, or hopes for structural change?
- How has symbolic leadership historically shifted social movements—even when material conditions didn’t change?
- How does morale shape civic behavior—especially in households, families, and identity groups?
Core Readings (I’m working through):
- Sara Ahmed, The Promise of Happiness
- Audre Lorde, “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action”
- Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark
- George Lakoff, Don’t Think of an Elephant!
- Arlie Hochschild, Strangers in Their Own Land
Related Essays (by me):
Civic Learning Begins at Home
- Becoming Critical Thinkers: Reflects on how daily home practices—like reading, noticing, and choosing—form the foundation of civic discernment.
- Understanding Precedes Action: Traces the quiet, interior process of comprehension that must come before meaningful public participation.
Emotion, Media, and Morale
- The Fear of Irrelevance: Investigates the self-doubt and internalized disqualification that prevent people from imagining themselves as part of the public.
- Peaks and Valleys of Consumption: Maps how our media diets affect morale—and what it means for our capacity to show up as citizens.
Information as Emotional Labor
- Why Do People Exchange Misinformation?: Reframes misinformation as an act of emotional signaling and trust-building—not simply a failure of logic or facts.
- What Makes You Feel Like You Belong?: Looks at how the experience of belonging is created, and why civic participation often requires an emotional foundation first.