When people think about politics, they often imagine elections, protests or politicians arguing on TV - but what if political processes are also shaped by the small, everyday feelings and moments that most of us might not even notice?
That's the idea behind research published in journal Progress in Human Geography by The University of Manchester's Niamh Nelson-Owens, who has studied how 'ordinary affects' - the emotions, atmospheres, and experiences that we experience in daily life - can quietly drive political change.
Most of the time, politics is explained through big events and formal debates - but Nelson-Owens says this leaves out an important part of the story. Her work shows that broader political processes are also shaped by emotions - things like hope, frustration or even unease - which often move between people in ways we don't fully realise.
Take a simple example - a chat in a café, a walk through a busy square, or spotting something unusual on your street. These ordinary moments can spark ideas and feelings that might grow into something bigger - a small event can inspire different reactions, questions and possibilities, showing that change doesn't always start in obvious ways.
This way of looking at political processes is especially useful for activists. It suggests that change doesn't only come from huge protests or speeches - it can also grow from small acts of kindness, everyday resistance, or even brief encounters that make people stop and think. It provides new tools to understand how existing power structures can be challenged, reinforced, or even how 'seeds of change' can be sown in fleeting interactions.
In her research, Nelson-Owens has looked at vegan activism in Manchester. She found that graphic images on the street can create all sorts of emotional responses ranging from deep conversations about ethics to people turning away in discomfort. Even though these reactions may be short-lived, they can still plant seeds of change.
Her work encourages us to see politics, and political processes more broadly, as something not just decided in parliaments or through laws, but which also live in our daily routines, conversations and feelings.
"My research rethinks how political change might happen," said Niamh. "We often focus on flashpoints or dramatic events in the formal realm of 'politics', but I suggest that change can also emerge in more ordinary ways, through how we feel as much as what we say."
