Ratner+(WK6)

=A Cultural-Psychological Analysis of Emotions=

by: Carl Ratner
-Transcultural similarities in emotion exist, undeniably. -However, citation of transcultural similarities does not explain a full/compelling range of psychological phenomena. -In order to explain emotion more robustly, we must look at the interplay between culture and biology. -Biology underlies and mediates emotion, but emotion is more fully explained by reference to its interaction with culture. -Studies which challenge many transcultural similarities are cited, thus suggesting that culture must be examined in order to fully understand human emotion and psychological phenomena.
 * Main Ideas:**

-"For cultural psychology to comprehend the concrete cultural character of psychological phenomena, it must elucidate the specific and distinctive ways that populations of people organize the major domains of life - such as work, education, medical care, religion, art, family, and the ways that this social organization of activities is recapitulated in concepts, psychological phenomena, and agency."
 * Important Quotes:**

-"Understanding the concrete cultural character of emotions requires elucidating their correspondence with the manner in which people act, think, and are treated in cultural activities."

-"Although the full, concrete qualities of emotions are culturally specific and variable, some transcultural similarity in emotions is undeniable. (But the universal qualities of emotions) provide little information about actual experience and behavior. General, abstract emotional universals do not illuminate specific emotional experience which is cultural. Just as the need to form families does not produce or explain monogamy, so a general sense of caring does not produce or explain romantic love, nor does frustration produce or explain anger. Specific emotional qualities are only understandable in terms of cultural activities and concepts."


 * Basic Outline:**
 * I.** (Abstract)
 * A.** //Activity Theory// is central for the cultural psychology of emotions.
 * Definition of** //Activity Theory://
 * 1.** //Activity Theory// regards emotions as interdependent and interpenetrating with other cultural phenomena.
 * 2.** //Activity Theory// says: cultural characteristics, development, and functions of emotions are shaped by social activities and cultural concepts.
 * B.** __Evidence is Shown__: Biological processes underlie and mediate emotional qualities and expressions, but do not determine them (emotional qualities and expressions).
 * C.** Particular emotional qualities and expressions are determined by culture.


 * II.** (The Four Tenets of Vygotsky's //Activity Theory//)
 * 1.** Humans collectively devise activities. Humans realize themselves through these activities. Therefore, the activities are basic to all human processes.
 * 2.** The activities stimulate people to construct concepts about things and people.
 * 3.** Psychological phenomena are constructed from social activities and their corresponding cultural concepts. Social activities foster emotional concepts.
 * 4.** Culture = socially organized activities, cultural concepts, and psychological phenomena. Culture also includes //Agency//.
 * 4.a.** //Agency// is cultural phenomena in two ways:
 * 1.** The teleology aims at maintaining the components of culture.
 * 2.** //Agency// is stimulated and shaped by existing cultural components.


 * III.** Emotions have 5 Characteristics:
 * 1.** Quality
 * 2.** Intensity
 * 3.** Behavioral Expression
 * 4.** The manner in which they are resolved
 * 5.** Organization

-An understanding of the immediate stimulus -Social context -Needs and capabilities of the individual
 * The Quality of Emotions:**
 * A.** The kind of emotion felt in a particular situation depends on an understanding of the situation. In this case, "Understanding" is informed by culture/activity.
 * B.** An emotion often rests upon several concepts:
 * C.** "An emotion is a network of conceptual and perceptual structures in which the objects and people in our world, other's actions and our own, are given significance. An emotion is not an isolated judgment, but a system of judgments which is in turn a sub-system of the whole of our ways of viewing the world."
 * Example:** Emotions are quite different if one believes that they must be expressed or are dangerous to express.

-"Different cultural concepts concerning the nature/importance of events and the nature of emotions generate different levels of emotional intensity in different populations."
 * The Intensity of Emotions:**

-Emotions are expressed according to different display rules. i.e. People have trouble recognizing emotions cross-culturally; there is no trans-cultural expression of emotion. Happy individuals do not necessarily smile - even happiness and smiling are not invariably coordinated.
 * The Behavioral Expression of Emotions:**

-The manner in which people resolve their emotions depends upon cultural concepts about emotions and other phenomena.
 * Managing Emotions:**

-"The organization of emotions rests upon cultural concepts and activities. The Ifaluk regard disappointment and fright as closely related because they emphasize the fact that both involve some unexpected bad occurrence.
 * Organization:**

Hey Team, does anyone want to finish the outline? We still have the following sections to rock out on: -"The cultural Functions of Emotions" -"The Cultural Formation (Development) of Emotions" -"The Interaction of Biology and Culture in Emotions"

(Jordan): I really loved this article, and agree with virtually all of it - the concepts have been central to my training so far at Evergreen. However, I notice the "evidence" is a little flimsy. Here's how: Studies and provocative readings of history are cited, yet the discussions of the psychological/scientific studies lack __//p-values!!!!//__ I don't think there is any explicit note about [|statistical significance] in the article! At the same time, when I look at the link on p-value, I realize this is a little more complex than I thought. Finally, I really love the evidence cited, even though statistical significance is not mentioned - the evidence is very useful in challenging a //biological essentialist// or //foundationalist// reading of emotion, and bolstering a [|theory of oppression] - I just wish I could see the actual tests. Then again, I guess that's what PsycInfo is for.
 * Critique/Group Thoughts on the Quality of the Article:**