Question Details

The phrase “structure of feeling” is attributed to

Options

A

Lauren Berlant

B

Terry Eagleton

C

Raymond Williams

D

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick

Correct Answer :

Raymond Williams

Solution :

The correct option is Raymond Williams.

Explanation:
The term “structure of feeling” is a highly influential cultural studies concept formulated by the Welsh Marxist theorist and critic Raymond Williams. He introduced the phrase in the 1950s (most notably in Preface to Film in 1954) and further developed it in later seminal works like The Long Revolution (1961) and Marxism and Literature (1977).

Understanding the Concept:
Williams defined a “structure of feeling” as the lived, shared experience of a particular quality of life at a specific historical moment. It represents the set of values, sensibilities, and emotional undercurrents that characterize a generation or an era. Rather than looking at formal institutions, ideologies, or established laws, the concept focuses on the emerging, felt experiences of social changes before they become fully articulated or codified into formal structures.

Contextualizing the Other Options:
- Lauren Berlant is best known for the concept of "cruel optimism."
- Terry Eagleton is a renowned Marxist literary theorist known for his critiques of ideology and introduction to literary theory.
- Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick is one of the founding figures of queer theory, famous for works like Epistemology of the Closet.

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