"It not only contributes to a growing body of scholarship on affect theory and neoliberal governmentality, but also problematises the ways in which empathy is mobilised by Western corporations, governments and humanitarian organisations. Affective Relations is a thought-provoking read that will appeal to a broad range of scholars, including those interested in postcolonial or transnational feminism, critical race theory and/or political anthropology." (Robin Valenzuela, feminist review, Vol. 116 (1), July, 2017)
"Pedwell engages with the politics of empathy as a politics of emotion that is simultaneously material and discursive, relational and embodied, local and transnational. Due to its disciplinary breadth, Affective Relations
has something to offer anyone studying emotion from a biological, cultural, and/or political perspective." (Nicole Laliberté, Emotion, Space and Society, Vol. 21, November, 2016)
"Pedwell's rich study examines the diverse ways in which empathy is mobilised - from political speeches that uphold neoliberalism, to postcolonial literatures that refuse certain forms of empathic connection. ... The framework of Affective Relations is strongly interdisciplinary, bringing literatures from feminism, postcolonialism, neuroscience, psychoanalysis and popular science into dialogue. ... This is an ambitious project that highlights how empathy materialises in different spheres, through different media, and through different types of encounter." (Amanda Rogers, societyandspace.org, April, 2015)
