Cuba, emotions and politics in Sweden 1959-

Since the Cuban revolution in 1959, Cuba has been a controversial topic in Swedish debate. It is clear that it is a political conflict, but it is also obvious that there is a lot of emotion involved, both in the actual political commitment and in the rhetoric. It is this field of tension that forms the subject of this project.

Both at the time and in the years since, the Cuban revolution has aroused strong feelings, both negative and positive. This is the focus of this project.
The timeframe for the study is from 1959 to the present. The focus will be on the groups and individuals who openly express the view that the Cuban revolution is a model and that Cuban society is an alternative society.

The aim of this project is to develop the research field on the significance of emotion for political standpoints, not least for the creation of different political groups. This research field has so far received little attention in Sweden. The Swedish socialist tradition and the position of left-wing intellectuals in Swedish society make the example of Cuba in a Swedish context extremely relevant from an international perspective as well. It also provides an opportunity to follow a political commitment and a wish for a better society over a long period of time; from 1959 to the present. This makes it possible to see both continuity and changes, both in a broader political discourse and in different political groups. The project can therefore contribute to the international research on the significance of emotion for political mobilisation.