Is there a word for something that "has a lot of emotional associations which lead to difficulties in approaching the subject rationally and objectively"?
For example, I would say that "gay marriage", "global warming" or "feminism" in many contexts are examples of this, while for example "stone grinder", "workplace" or "skyscrapers" generally are relatively clear of these "good-or-bad" associations.
The closest I get to this is normative: The topic is very normatively charged, but I feel that "normative" also implies that there is some kind of intent to standardize. A technical document declaring a proposed standard for something is obviously normative, but the topic could still be clear of any emotionally charged associations that would have made it hard to have a rational discussion around it.
Update
It seems like the problem I have is that I want to make the conflict between emotional associations with a subject and the possibility of approaching the subject objectively explicit. The implicit conflict of emotions and objectivity seems to be taken for granted by many, but I cannot rule out that a person or a group of people can compartmentalize their feelings and still treat the subject in a rational, objective and professional way.
It's the cases where the emotional associations of a subject have traits such that they effectively destroy the possibility of treating the subject objectively that I want to describe, not only those where the subject has strong emotional associations.
Best Answer
This may be a case where Br Eng says precisely that with emotive