Emotions and culture

Emotions are biocultural phenomena, meaning they are shaped by both evolution and culture.[1] They are "internal phenomena that can, but do not always, make themselves observable through expression and behavior".[2] While emotions themselves are universal, they are always influenced by culture. How they are experienced, expressed, perceived, and regulated varies according to cultural norms. Therefore, it can be said that culture is a necessary framework for researchers to understand variations in emotions.[3]

Human neurology can explain some of the cross-cultural similarities in emotional phenomena, including certain physiological and behavioral changes.[4][5] However, the way that emotions are expressed and understood varies across cultures. Though most people experience similar internal sensations, the way these are categorized and interpreted is shaped by language and social context.[4][6] This relationship is not one-sided – because behavior, emotion, and culture are interrelated, emotional expression can also influence cultural change or maintenance over time.[1]

There are three main perspectives on how emotions occur. Discrete emotion theory takes a categorical approach, suggesting there is a universal set of distinct, basic emotions that have unique patterns of behavior, experiences, physiological changes, and neural activity.[5] Social constructionist theories suggest emotions are more deeply culturally influenced, shaping our perception and experience of the world according to the language, norms, and values within a given social context.[4][7] The final perspective takes an integrated approach, exploring the interaction of biology and culture to explain the social influences on the categorization and subjective experience of emotion.[1][4]

  1. ^ a b c Chentsova Dutton, Yulia E.; Lyons, Samuel H. (2021-01-01), Meiselman, Herbert L. (ed.), "Chapter 29 - Different ways of measuring emotions cross-culturally", Emotion Measurement (Second Edition), Woodhead Publishing, pp. 937–974, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-821124-3.00029-6, ISBN 978-0-12-821125-0, retrieved 2024-10-25
  2. ^ Niedenthal, Paula M.; Silvia Krauth-Gruber; Francois Ric (2006). Psychology of Emotion Interpersonal, Experiential, and Cognitive Approaches. New York, NY: Psychology Press. pp. 5, 305–342. ISBN 978-1841694023.
  3. ^ Richerson, Peter J.; Boyd, Robert (2005). Not by genes alone: How culture transformed human evolution. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-71284-2.
  4. ^ a b c d Lindquist, Kristen A.; Jackson, Joshua Conrad; Leshin, Joseph; Satpute, Ajay B.; Gendron, Maria (2022-09-26). "The cultural evolution of emotion". Nature Reviews Psychology. 1 (11): 669–681. doi:10.1038/s44159-022-00105-4. ISSN 2731-0574.
  5. ^ a b Karandashev, Victor (2021). Cultural Models of Emotions. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58438-2. ISBN 978-3-030-58437-5.
  6. ^ Zhou, Pin; Critchley, Hugo; Garfinkel, Sarah; Gao, Ya (2021-03-06). "The conceptualization of emotions across cultures: a model based on interoceptive neuroscience". Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 125: 314–327. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.023.
  7. ^ Nightingale, David J.; Cromby, John, eds. (1999). Social constructionist psychology: a critical analysis of theory and practice. Buckingham: Open Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-335-20192-1.