Conservatism as affective ideology: rethinking the recent attacks on higher education

This conceptual paper examines recent conservative attacks on higher education through the lens of affective ideology. While Michael Apple’s landmark framework of “conservative modernisation” has illuminated how ideological coalitions restructure education, comparatively little attention has been paid to the affective power that motivates and sustains such political projects. The paper argues that conservatism in higher education cannot be understood solely as an ideological project; it is also an affective project animated by emotions such as righteousness, resentment, fear, and nostalgia. These emotions operate as adhesive forces, imbuing policy reforms with moral urgency, legitimating attacks on higher education, and rendering conservative rhetoric compelling to wider constituencies. Drawing on theorisation of affect and ideology as entangled, this paper highlights U.S. conservative campaigns against critical race theory (CRT), diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and elite universities as key illustrations. The analysis concludes that responding to conservative mobilisations requires grappling with their affective power and cultivating alternative affective communities within universities.