The Embodied and Situated Nature of Moods

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer via the DOI in this record.In this paper I argue that it is misleading to regard the brain as the physical basis or “core machinery” of moods. First, empirical evidence shows that brain activity not only influences, but is in turn influenced by, physical activity taking place in other parts of the organism (such as the endocrine and immune systems). It is therefore not clear why the core machinery of moods ought to be restricted to the brain. I propose, instead, that moods should be conceived as embodied, i.e., their physical basis should be enlarged so as to comprise not just brain but also bodily processes. Second, I emphasise that moods are also situated in the world. By this I do not simply mean that moods are influenced by the world, but that they are complexly interrelated with it, in at least three different ways: they are shaped by cultural values and norms; they are materially and intersubjectively “scaffolded”; and they can even “experientially incorporate” parts of the world, i.e., include the experience of parts of the world as part of oneself

“We put the media in (anti)social media": Channel 4's struggles with unofficial archives, second-screen viewing and the increasingly visible agency of its youth audiences

Fans, and the agency of media audiences, are a longstanding cultural phenomenon. Their increased visibility and the everydayness of fan practice and user production, on the other hand, are relatively recent and have been propagated by the empowering function and disseminating power of online spaces and social media. These groups and audiences have long been recognised and often ill-served by UK broadcasting. However, in the case of Channel 4, a publisher-broadcaster with the remit to represent minorities and niche audiences while championing innovation and experimental content, minority audiences (particularly youthful ones) have historically been catered for in a variety of ways, often through the use of bespoke stranding strategies created within its schedules, catering for these neglected groups (and fans) while fulfilling its remit