My research on the politics of smell divided the internet – here’s what it’s actually about

In November, I celebrated finishing my PhD. After three and a half years of writing and research, it was an occasion I wanted to share with my academic network, so I posted a photo of myself holding a physical copy of my PhD thesis on X. The post amassed 120 million views and sparked a lot of anger in response to its title: Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose.

The title received criticism from those who were wilfully misrepresenting the nature of the research. “Smells are racist,” became a misguided refrain. One user commented that it was a study of “why it’s racist and/or classist to not like it when people exhibit body odors consistent with poor hygiene”.

My thesis studies how certain authors of the past century used smell in literature to indicate social hostilities, such as prejudice and exploitation. It also connects this to our real-world understanding of the role the sense plays in society.

For instance, in The Road to Wigan Pier (1936), George Orwell states that “the real secret of class distinctions in the West” can be summed up in four frightful words: “The lower classes smell.” Orwell proceeds to unpick the harm that this kind of messaging causes and how we might combat it.

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It is well documented that smell has been used as a justification for expressions of racism, classism and sexism. Since the 1980s, researchers have been assessing the moral implications of perceptions and stereotypes related to smell.

My thesis adds to this work by assessing the contributions of a selection of books and films that take smell seriously. In each of the texts I used, smell takes on a role beyond mere sense perception.

I include examples from well-known works by George Orwell, Vladimir Nabokov, J.M. Coetzee and Toni Morrison, as well as notable recent examples, such as Bong Joon-ho’s film, Parasite.

I suggest that smell very often invokes identity in a way that is meant to convey an individual’s worth and status. In Parasite, for instance, a working-class man overhears his employer say that his “smell crosses the line”, which the director describes as a moment when “the basic respect you have for another human being is being shattered”.

Some authors draw on a long history of smell discrimination to explore its relevance in contemporary society. For example, during the transatlantic slave trade, black slaves were said to emit a foul smell, a misconception that contributed to their dehumanisation.

In Toni Morrison’s novel, Tar Baby (1981), which is set in the present day, one of the protagonists uses these racist associations, stating “I know you’re an animal because I smell you” to a black female character.

I’ve found that it’s is hard to counter such ideas that people have about certain smells being associated with particular identities. This might be down to the strong emotional and bodily reactions produced by smell.

We tend to think that our desire to avoid bad smells is an instinctual, protective mechanism, but evidence suggests that we are taught which smells to find disgusting. That’s because the disgust response is almost entirely lacking in children under the age of two. The sense of smell, then, is shaped by society and is influenced by the prejudices that pervade it.

I also make a case for the personal and social functions of reading. The texts I consider in my thesis introduce readers to new ways of understanding their own sense of smell.

For example, in Sam Byers’ 2020 novel, Come Join Our Disease (2021), the characters thoroughly embrace bad odours and draw attention to the harmless nature of doing so.

I suggest, then, that books and films don’t just record political aspects of smell, they can also foster and test new insights into our own sense smell.

That many commenters were initially unconvinced that smell could possibly be a fruitful topic of academic discussion speaks to the widespread devaluing of smell. Ultimately, smell is one of the main ways almost all of us engage with the world and it deserves more of our attention.

Amelia Louks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.