Work

Affective practice, power, and inclusion at a migrant-run Hong Kong gay bar

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Affect is intrinsic to the expression of voices from the margins; affective practice can complement language-centric inclusion strategies in linguistically diverse settings. Fabulosa, a thriving, migrant-run gay bar, employs affective practice to make customers feel welcome, including those who experience social exclusion elsewhere. Focusing on emotional expression and interpersonal control, two Communication Accommodation Theory attuning strategies, this paper uses an affective-discursive approach to investigate power and site-specific multimodal forms of inclusive affective practice. In addition to supporting previous research on empathy's capacity to enhance social inclusion within intercultural contexts, the findings suggest a relationship between emotional labour and power (cultural capital).

Source: Language and Intercultural Communication

DOI: 10.1080/14708477.2025.2518380

Author: Anne Ambler Schluter

Institution: Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Language: English

Topic: Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Hong Kong Polytechnic University