Lesson 5 Sociology and contemporary societies Prof. Consuelo Corradi Emotions http://www.sagepub.net/isa/admin/viewPDF.aspx?&art=Emotions.pdf by E. Bericat Lesson 5 Sociology and contemporary societies Prof. Consuelo Corradi

Sociology of emotions A fundamental role in all social phenomena The emotional nature of social phenomena The social nature of human emotions Denzin: “a lived, believed-in, situated, temporally embodied experience that radiates through a person’s stream of consciousness, is felt and runs through the body and… plunges the person and his/her associates into a trasformed reality” Brody: “motivational systems with physiological, behavioural, experiential and cognitive components”

Types (1) Primary, universal, physiological, evolutionary relevance, biologically innate Fear Anger Depression Satisfaction Secondary, a combinations of primary e., socially and culturally conditioned Guilt Shame Love Resentment Disappointment Nostalgia

Types (2) Bodily urges: sexual desire, hunger, defecation Reflex emotions: short-term reaction to environment, anger, fear, joy Moods: lasting affective states, lacking a specific object Reflexive emotions: involving feelings of approval and disapproval

“Emotions constitute the bodily manifestation of the importance that an event in the natural or social world has for a subject”. “The self, the feeling subject, constitutes the central reference upon which the emotions turn”. “the nature of emotions is relational… the subject of emotions is not… hermetically isolated from the environment” “understanding an emotion means understanding the situation and social relation it produces” “an actor whose consciousness is limited to ideas or cognitions… is inconceivable”

Social nature of emotions Not a substance, but patterns of relationships linking self and environment Outcome of interaction on dimensions of power and status (Kemper) Fear: + or – power Anger: denying status/prestige Depression: loss of status, self is responsible Satisfaction: power is not fearful and status is as expected

Emotional nature of social reality Social reality is always Inter-communicative Culture, communication and consciousness cognition, value and emotions Inter-active Structure, energy and action Natural energy, individual power and will Energetic and motivational Examples: partner conflict, the stock market, tv comedy series, tv news, kamikaze violence, etc.

Videos Bodies and rythm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kZR9RG8DTA September 11, 2001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tgQ75GxAZk