Caught in a bad mood: the affective economy of inclusive education

This article explores inclusive education through the lens of affect theory, proposing that such an approach can shed new light on the agenda’s perceived failure as pedagogical practice. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with school leaders and teachers as well as ethnographic observations in Danish primary school, the study examines the ‘affective economy’ of inclusive education – the emotional currents that circulate, stick, and co-construct responses to its policy and practice. Building on Ahmed’s concept of affect as relational and circulating, the analysis foregrounds the sticky figure of the ‘inclusion-child’, a symbolic representation of students perceived as requiring additional support. Findings reveal how affects such as frustration, resignation, and fear contribute to the perception of inclusive education as a burdensome and impossible task. Simultaneously, affects like pride and work satisfaction demonstrate its potential to be reframed as meaningful and rewarding. By foregrounding the emotional dimensions of inclusive education and how they shape orientations towards its enactment in practice, this paper offers a revitalised perspective on an agenda caught in a ‘bad mood’.