DOCSLIB.ORG

Psychological, Emotional, Linguistic and Cultural Changes Following Migration

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Psychological, Emotional, Linguistic and Cultural Changes Following Migration Psychological, emotional, linguistic and cultural changes following migration The case of Italian migrants living in English-speaking countries Alessandra Panicacci Department of Applied Lingusitics and Communication Birkbeck College, University of London Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1 A te caro nonno Livio, che mi hai trasmesso l’amore per la conoscenza e la curiosita` di scoprire il mondo e a te, Momo 2 Declaration I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where explicitly defined in the acknowledgements, no material which to a substantial extent has been submitted for award of any other degree or diploma of a university or other institution of higher learning. Word count (exclusive of abstract, index, acknowledgements, appendices and bibliography): 97.805 words including footnotes Signed Date 3 Abstract The main argument of this dissertation is that languages and cultures overlap in the psyche of individuals. Participants are 468 Italian migrants residing in English-speaking countries. Specifically, the purpose is to investigate how language choice for expressing emotions, self-reported language dominance and self-perceptions when using the local language relate to migrants’ acculturation attitudes and personality. The analysis has been conducted using a mixed-method. Data has been gathered through a web-questionnaire and 5 follow-up interviews have been conducted in order to explore possible causes of statistical patterns. The web-survey was a combination of the Bilingualism and Emotions Questionnaire, the Vancouver Index of Acculturation and the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire. Findings confirmed that respondents’ linguistic attitudes towards Italian (L1) and English (LX) matched their orientation towards L1 culture and LX culture. Specifically, participants who reported frequent use of the L1 to express emotions and considered it a dominant language were strongly attached to L1 culture practices. Similarly, participants who reported regular use of the LX to express emotions and considered it a dominant language were strongly attached to LX culture practices. Statistical analysis indicated reciprocal effects between linguistic and cultural factors, where L1 and LX dimensions remained unconnected. Furthermore, migrants’ feelings of difference when using the LX were constrained by their sense of belonging to the LX culture. Personality traits differently linked to L1 and LX variables, where no trait was correlated with both. In particular, the traits Flexibility and Emotional Stability were negatively related to participants’ attachment to the heritage language and culture, whereas the traits Cultural Empathy, Social Initiative and Openmindedness were positively related to their attachment to the host language and culture. Reciprocal effects appeared between cultural- linguistic aspects and personality traits, illustrating the linguistic and cultural hybridity of migrants and their psychological changes following migration. 4 Acknowledgements The completion of a Ph.D. is a life-changing process, which I endured thanks to the unconditional support of many people. I would have never had the strength to sustain the practical and theoretical difficulties that made this path the most revealing of my life. In these five years I have learnt that a Ph.D. is a long-term project and requires you to be good at managing your time over long stretches. Often, it is hard to keep going when deadlines are far away in the future. I have learnt how to compartmentalise the job into a myriad of small tasks, and yet I was never hundred percent sure about what I was accomplishing. Sometimes I had the idea a Ph.D. is just a way to focus on something for a very long time. I spent countless hours staring at a wall, trying to conceptualise what was not clear in my mind and then I woke up plenty of times in the middle of the night with the right inspiration, desperate to write things down. I have learnt that it is tough to know when you are done. Likewise, it is normal to feel like you are not succeeding. There have been days when I felt successful, but only a few, and that is also because it is extremely hard to keep track of the actual progress. Having completed one percent of the job, on any given day, felt insignificant till I started to see where that piece fitted into the larger whole. Above all, I have learnt to fail. Indeed, for every small success I had at least twice as failures, flaws in something I had spent months working on. Now I know these reiterated failures are the essence of creating knowledge, and are therefore part of the whole process. First and foremost, I would like to thank Prof. Jean-Marc Dewaele, for his care over the past years. Certainly, he has been a crucial source of advice, encouraging me to present my research at international conferences, connecting me with established academics in the field and guiding me through the production of a couple of papers and to the final completion of this thesis. Beyond his supervisor’s duties, I want to thank him for his constant optimism – a vital source of psychological support, as well as his blunt criticism, patience and friendly approach, which directed me towards the right decisions. With all these qualities, he managed to transform my confused independent thinking into a more concrete research attitude, 5 helping me becoming a researcher with both the good amount of curiosity to venture new projects and solid theoretical skills to stay grounded. Amongst the people I am scholarly most grateful to, I would like to mention Prof. Aneta Pavlenko, Dr. Ożańska-Ponikwia, Dr. Jan Pieter van Oudenhoven, Prof. Karen van der Zee, Prof. Batja Mesquita, Dr. Verònica Benet-Martínez and Dr. Rosemary Wilson whose ideas largely inspired this dissertation. Special thanks go to Dr. Jozefien De Leersnyder, Dr. Andrew Ryder and Dr. Resnik for their assistance and friendly interest in my ideas and support in developing new projects. I would also like to thank the School of Social Sciences, Philosophy and History for funding my research during these years, as well as many important conferences I had the chance to attend to. I also mention with warm appreciation the Sarah and George Bancroft Charity Trust for part- funding my Ph.D. All my fellow Ph.D. students at Birkbeck College willingly provided invaluable feedback and support, in particular Dr. Ruxandra Comanaru, Louise Rolland, Pernelle Lorette, Xuemei Chen, Hannah Marie, Dr. Liana Pavelescu, Kamaal Ahsan Majeed, Sharona Moskowitz, Elena Dey, Areej Alawad, Miho Kito, Dr. Ariadne Loutrari, Dr. Kate Hammer, Dr. Oleksandra Shaitan, Dr. Franco Zappettini, Dr. Takako Inada, Barbara Gross, Dr. Susan Samata, Dr. Jennifer Watson and Virginia Grover. They all have provided a stimulating environment in which to exchange ideas and discuss progress thoroughly. I am also grateful to the Applied Linguistic staff for being extremely patient with me, especially Prof. Li Wei, Dr. Tom Morton, Dr. Lisa McEntee-Atalianis and Prof. Zhu Hua. I also thank Sophie Banbury, Kevin Smith and Robin Wright for the administrative support, Jane Halstead for funding advices and Sarah Lee for helping me with research regulations. Furthermore, this work would not have been possible without the priceless contribution of all participants and interview candidates to whom I am extremely grateful for their time and insights. I equally thank the participants of my pilot studies who have been a productive source of 6 inspiration. Last but not least, thanks to my proofreader for being extremely interested in my project, helpful and professional. Behind a Ph.D. there is also a lot of psychological and financial struggle. This is why I am very grateful to my several employers over these years, as they all granted me flexible working hours and time off to present my research in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal. I would have never been able to cope with three jobs and a Ph.D. without the necessary flexibility. In particular, I want to thank Lebara Limited for providing a valuable source of funding for my research. Nevertheless, all my colleagues from my current jobs and previous ones have always been extremely understanding and patient in helping me to organise my tight daily schedule. In particular I want to mention Clemens Fäh, Mara Martuzzi, Tanja Heldstab, Karin Weber, Mariam Lepage, Rebecca Edwards, Sarah Aird, Beth Scott and Tony Wallman for organising my working shifts around my study requirements and for being sympathetic. I owe a substantial debt of gratitude to Dr. Bene Bassetti, for giving me the chance to work at different research projects. Her trustful support helped me developing precious skills. I am thankful to my parents, whom I am not sure understand this ‘Doctorate thing’ but they always allowed me to pursue any adventures, including this one. Special thanks go to my cousin Fabio, my uncle Carlo and, above all, my grandmother Cinzia who always valued my achievements and always admired my audacity. Finally, this thesis would never have come into being without the unfailing support of all my beloved friends across the world. Throughout these years they have been the ones who really encouraged me, inspired me and heartened me like a real family. I want to thank Simone, Lynn, David, Irene B. and ‘Samantha’, Dan, Nicole, Napo, Giulia, Checca, Gianlu, Pizzo, Mara, Patrick, Mancio, James A., Livia, Mara, Maurizio, Diego, Valerio, Alessandro, ‘Enzo’, Selica, Abel, Amy, Elena, Antonio, Ilaria, Ciaran, Vica, Mauro, Monica, Clemens, Jacqueline, Irene C., Srdjan, Augusto, Awal, Mariam, Sabrina, Simon, Remko, Arline, Aaron, Ludovica, Andrea, ‘Pieri’, 7 Valentina, Katherine, James R., Mari, Daniela, Seneca, Catena, Pippo, the Heldstab family, Max, Zoe, Beppe, Beatrice, Jacopo, Francesca, Donata, Rachel, Karin, Tania, Angela C., Cencio, Erica, Elvira, Anna DM., Ema, Anna A., Angela N., Martinha, Eugenio and Michael.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 'Translating' Emotions: Nationalism in Contemporary Greek Cinema
    ‘Reading’ and ‘Translating’ Emotions: Nationalism in Contemporary Greek Cinema by Sophia Sakellis A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Research) Department of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University of Sydney October 2016 ABSTRACT This study explores emotions related to nationalism, and their manifestations in contemporary Greek cinema. It also investigates the reasons and mechanisms giving rise to nationalism, and how it is perceived, expressed and ‘translated’ into other cultures. A core focus within the nationalist paradigm is the theme of national identity, with social exclusion ideologies such as racism operating in the background. Two contemporary Greek films have been chosen, which deal with themes of identity, nationalism, xenophobia, anger and fear in different contexts. The study is carried out by drawing on the theories of emotion, language, translation and cinema, to analyse the visual and audio components of the two films and ascertain their translatability to an Australian audience. Both films depict a similar milieu to each other, which is plagued by the lingering nature of all the unresolved political and national issues faced by the Greek nation, in addition to the economic crisis, a severe refugee crisis, and externally imposed policy issues, as well as numerous other social problems stemming from bureaucracy, red tape and widespread state-led corruption, which have resulted in massive rates of unemployment and financial hardship that have befallen a major part of the population. In spite of their topicality, the themes are universal and prevalent in a number of countries to varying degrees, as cultural borders become increasingly integrated, both socially and economically.
    [Show full text]
  • Emotions in Motion
    Ethel Brundin Emotions in Motion The Strategic Leader in a Radical Change Process Jönköping International Business School P.O. Box 1026 SE-551 11 Jönköping Tel.: +46 36 15 77 00 E-mail: [email protected] www.jibs.se Emotions in Motion - The Strategic Leader in a Radical Change Process JIBS Dissertation Series No. 012 © 2002 Ethel Brundin and Jönköping International Business School Ltd. ISSN 1403-0470 ISBN 91-89164-32-6 Printed by Ark Tryckaren AB, 2002 Preface Some twenty years ago, I started my own company together with two former colleagues. There was nothing spectacular about this, even if at the time it was considered somewhat different for a young woman to do such a thing and also act as the managing director. However, the spectacular thing was that in forming this company we tried to do so by conforming to rules, regulations and current standards – but there was a lot of hassle on a variety of issues to come to an agreement. In those negotiations we all showed, felt and expressed a good deal of emotions. However, there seemed to be a tacit agreement that those emotions were not to affect our decisions about the structure and running of the business. At least we pretended that this was the case. As a professional consultant within the field of strategic and organisational change, I often came across a great deal of emotions among strategic leaders, managers and other employees. This was even more explicit in different change processes of the companies. Nevertheless, emotions were something one tried to exclude from strategic leadership.
    [Show full text]
  • Culture's Influence on Emotional Intelligence: an Empirical Study of Nine Countries
    Journal of International Management 20 (2014) 256–274 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of International Management Culture's Influence on Emotional Intelligence: An Empirical Study of Nine Countries Marjaana Gunkel a,⁎, Christopher Schlägel b, Robert L. Engle c a Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Scharnhorststraße 1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany b Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany c Quinnipiac University, SB-DNF, 275 Mt Carmel Ave. Hamden, CT 06518, USA article info abstract Article history: While a large body of research has examined the outcomes of emotional intelligence, relatively Received 13 December 2012 little is known about the antecedents of emotional intelligence. Prior research suggests that Received in revised form 11 October 2013 emotional intelligence has different effects on management outcomes in different cultural Accepted 11 October 2013 contexts, but lacks a systematic analysis of the effect of cultural values in the development of Available online 4 November 2013 emotional intelligence. Utilizing a sample of 2067 individuals in nine countries, the present study explores the influence of cultural dimensions on emotional intelligence. Our results Keywords: show that especially collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation have a Culture positive influence on the different dimensions of emotional intelligence. Theoretical and Cross-cultural comparison practical implications of these findings are discussed and future research directions are Emotional intelligence Emotions provided. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Culture determines the values and norms of individuals. What is considered important in a society is therefore determined to a great degree by culture. Consequently, the societal norms also determine the meaning of emotions and the controlling of them (Eid and Diener, 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • A Culture Model for Non-Player Characters Behaviors in Role
    SBC { Proceedings of SBGames 2020 | ISSN: 2179-2259 Computing Track { Full Papers A Culture Model for Non-Player Characters’ Behaviors in Role-Playing Games Lu´ıs Fernando Bicalho Bruno Feijo´ Augusto Baffa ICAD Games/VisionLab ICAD Games/VisionLab ICAD Games/VisionLab Departamento de Informatica´ Departamento de Informatica´ Departamento de Informatica´ Pontif´ıcia Universidade Catolica´ Pontif´ıcia Universidade Catolica´ Pontif´ıcia Universidade Catolica´ do Rio de Janeiro do Rio de Janeiro do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract—Video game players often seek more profound ex- about Procedural Content Generation (PCG), which makes periences with non-player characters (also known as NPCs). games like Minecraft (Mojang, 2009) and No Man’s Sky (Hello Believable game characters should then react emotionally, reveal Games, 2016) stand out as examples of millions of interactions personality traits, and exhibit social behavior. With these chal- lenges in mind, we propose a different strategy for modeling game during gameplay, causing PCG to take over the game industry. character behaviors. In our new approach, character behavior The strategies above mentioned usually focus on map cre- modeling is not only based on the emotions and personality traits ation, not giving attention to the way NPCs react to player but also on the culture of the region in which the NPC lives actions throughout the game. To start solving this issue, we in the game world. We propose a pragmatic model to simulate adopt the strategy in which the NPCs’ actions are based on game characters’ cultural behavior closely aligned with well- known emotion and personality models.
    [Show full text]
  • Patricia M. Rodriguez Mosquera, Ph.D
    Curriculum Vitae May 2018 Patricia M. Rodriguez Mosquera, Ph.D. ADDRESS Department of Psychology (860) 685-4958 [phone] Wesleyan University (860) 685-2761 [fax] 207 High St. [email protected] Middletown, CT 06459 http://culture-and-emotion.research.wesleyan.edu/ EDUCATION 2008 Certificate, Pedagogy in Higher Education, Brunel University. 2001 Certificate, Teaching in Higher Education, University of Amsterdam. 1999 Ph.D. Psychology, University of Amsterdam. ‘Honor and emotion. The cultural shaping of pride, shame and anger.’ 1994 BSc / MSc Psychology, Autónoma University of Madrid. ACADEMIC POSITIONS 2018- Professor, Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University. 2013- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University 2008-2013 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University. 2004-08 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Brunel University, London. Director, MSc. in Cross-Cultural Psychology 2002-04 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam. 2000-02 Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam. VISITING SCHOLAR AND FELLOWSHIPS 2013 Bahçeşehir University, Turkey, Department of Psychology. 2007 Murdoch University, Australia, School of Psychology. 2002 University of California at Berkeley, Department of Psychology. 2012 Faculty Fellow, Center for the Humanities, Wesleyan University. RESEARCH GRANTS 2015-16 Wesleyan University Center for Pedagogical Innovation Grant, ‘Learning about methods to study everyday experience.’ 2014-15 Doris Duke Foundation, ‘Muslim Women Voices,’ Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Senior Evaluation Consultant. 2010 British Academy Conference Support Grant. International Conference on Honor, Barcelona, Spain. 2010 European Association of Social Psychology Small Group Meeting Grant International Conference on Honor, Barcelona, Spain. 2010 Andrew W. Mellon Summer Research Grant. ‘The psychological implications of feminine honor.’ 2007-08 Brunel Research Initiative & Enterprise Fund.
    [Show full text]
  • The Emotions
    The Emotions Biology, Language and Culture Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy) Department of Philosophy University of Sheffield, UK Angela Florence Bird March 2014 i Abstract Philosophers, and theorists in other disciplines, have disagreed over the character, function and mechanisms of emotions. Amongst the persistent issues that have arisen is the question of what exactly emotions are. Are they a vivid perceptual awareness of physiological processes? Evaluative judgments? Dispositions? Neurophysiological states? Or perhaps an aggregate of some or all of the above? Typically, theorists who study the emotions have tended to divide into two camps. On the one hand there are those who adopt a broadly biological / adaptationist perspective, which emphasises the corporeal nature of emotions. On the other side of the divide are those who adopt a socio-constructivist perspective, which emphasises the cognitive nature of emotions. Proponents of the biological stance have tended to favour universal, basic emotions whilst socio-constructivists tend to favour the more exotic. In support of the latter approach a significant literature has emerged from ethnography, anthropology and cognitive linguistics. This literature adopts a “lexicocentric” perspective on the emotions. The biological/adaptationist perspective seems to capture something important and right about the essential nature of emotions. However, the aim of my thesis is to demonstrate that the basic emotions theory, as characterised by Ekman, is weakened by its failure to pay attention to, and fully to engage with, the literature regarding the effect of language on our emotional landscape, an area which has ostensibly been the domain of the social constructionist.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Emotions on Strategic Decision-Making: a China-U.S
    Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations in Business College of Business (Strome) Administration Winter 2010 The ffecE ts of Emotions on Strategic Decision- Making: A China-U.S. Cross-Cultural Experimental Study Weichu Xu Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/businessadministration_etds Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, and the Strategic Management Policy Commons Recommended Citation Xu, Weichu. "The Effects of Emotions on Strategic Decision-Making: A China-U.S. Cross-Cultural Experimental Study" (2010). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, , Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/d243-rj34 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/businessadministration_etds/73 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Business (Strome) at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EFFECTS OF EMOTIONS ON STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING: A CHINA-U.S. CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIMENTAL STUDY by Weichu Xu B.E. June 1995, Zhejiang University, China M.B.A. June 2005, Purdue University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY December 2010 Approved by: Anil Nair (Co-Director) • 7^ William O/Ju/lge (Member) ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF EMOTIONS ON STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING: A CHINA-US CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIMENTAL STUDY Weichu Xu Old Dominion University, 2010 Co-Directors: Dr. Anil Nair Dr. Mahesh Gopinath This dissertation examines how two different emotions — pride and guilt — experienced by managers influence their strategic decision-making.
    [Show full text]
  • CULTURE, GUILT, & SHAME a Multidimensional
    Running head: CULTURE, GUILT, & SHAME Young, I. F., Razavi, P., Cohen, T. R., Yang, Q., Alabèrnia-Segura, M., Sullivan, D. (in press). A multidimensional approach to the relationship between individualism-collectivism and guilt and shame. Emotion. Accepted August 2019 A Multidimensional Approach to the Relationship between Individualism-Collectivism and Guilt and Shame Isaac F. Young, University of Arizona* Pooya Razavi, University of Oregon Taya R. Cohen, Carnegie Mellon University Qian Yang, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University Miquel Alabèrnia-Segura, University of Barcelona Daniel Sullivan, University of Arizona * Corresponding author information: Name: Isaac F. Young Address: Isaac Young Department of Psychology 1503 E University Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85721 Email: [email protected] Telephone: (520) 621-7447 Fax number: (520) 621-9306 CULTURE, GUILT, & SHAME 1 Abstract Guilt and shame proneness are commonly thought to be associated with culture, yet research on this relationship is fragmented and often inconsistent. In a comprehensive review of the existing social scientific literature, we demonstrate that no consistent relationship between guilt and shame, on the one hand, and individualism and collectivism, on the other, has yet been established. To move this research area forward, we apply a new two-dimensional, quaternary perspective to both guilt/shame and cultural orientation. Specifically, both evaluative and behavioral dimensions of guilt and shame are considered using the Guilt and Shame Proneness scale (GASP;
    [Show full text]
  • Culture and Psychology
    Culture and Psychology Culture and Psychology How People Shape and are Shaped by Culture L D WORTHY, TRISHA LAVIGNE, AND FERNANDO ROMERO MMOER PHOENIX, AZ Culture and Psychology by L D Worthy, Trisha Lavigne, and Fernando Romero is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Contents Part I. Culture and Psychology Introduction to Psychology 3 Cultural WEIRDos 6 Introduction to Cultural Psychology 8 Defining Culture 10 Two Views of Culture 14 Products of Culture 15 Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions 16 Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism 20 1. Summary 23 Vocabulary 24 Part II. Cultural Learning Animal Culture 29 Uniquely Human 31 Ecological and Geographic Cultural Variation 41 Cultural Transmission 45 Summary 47 Vocabulary 48 Part III. Research Methods and Culture Advantages and Disadvantages 53 Research Issues in Cultural Psychology 55 Sampling Bias 56 Procedural Bias 58 Instrument Bias 61 Interpretation Bias 63 Summary 64 Ethics in Cultural Psychological Research 65 Other Issues in Research 69 Vocabulary 70 Part IV. Culture and Development Defining Enculturation 75 Enculturation 2. Enculturation Agents 77 Temperament 79 Attachment 82 Parenting Styles 86 Cognitive Development 89 Other Enculturation Agents 94 Summary 98 Vocabulary 99 Part V. Culture and Cognition Sensation and Perception 103 Attention 106 Social Cognitions 108 Schema 109 Attributions 111 Memory 114 Thinking and Intelligence 117 Categories and Concepts 118 Intelligence 121 One or Many 124 Intelligence and Culture 126 Intelligence Tests 127 Summary 128 Vocabulary 129 Part VI. Culture and Sexuality Sex and Gender 137 Stereotypes and Gender Roles 140 Gender Enculturation Agents 143 Gender Differences 147 Gender Roles and Culture 149 Gender Identity 150 Sexuality and Sexual Orientation 152 Sexuality and Culture 154 Discrimination 159 Reducing Gender Bias and Inequality 160 Summary 162 Vocabulary 163 Part VII.
    [Show full text]
  • Is the Appropriateness of Emotions Culture- Dependent? the Relevance of Social Meaning
    Journal of Social Ontology 2018; 4(1): 67–92 Article Anna Welpinghus Is the Appropriateness of Emotions Culture- Dependent? The Relevance of Social Meaning https://doi.org/10.1515/jso-2016-0024 Abstract: This paper contributes to the question to what extent the socio-cultural context is relevant for the appropriateness of emotions, while appropriateness of an emotion means that the emotion entails a correct, or adequate, evaluation of its object. In a first step, two adequacy conditions for theories of emotions are devel- oped: the first condition ensures that the socio-cultural context is not neglected: theories must allow for the fact that appropriateness often depends on the social meaning of the emotion’s particular object. The second condition rules out implau- sible forms of cultural determinism. In a second step, an account that meets both conditions is presented: the Acceptance within Social Context account. Keywords: Emotions and values; Emotions and culture; Collective acceptance; Anger; Infidelity. 1 Introduction Emotions are typically directed at a particular intentional object. We represent this object in a specific evaluative light when having an emotion directed at it. This fact yields an appropriateness condition for emotions: the emotion is appro- priate if and only if the object possesses the evaluative property in question. So far this is common ground within the philosophy of emotions. While there has been quite a bit of work on the question of how emotions represent these evaluative properties, the role of socio-cultural factors for the appropriateness of emotions has received little systematic treatment and is not well understood.
    [Show full text]
  • A Cross-Cultural Investigation of the Vocal Correlates of Emotion
    A cross-cultural investigation of the vocal correlates of emotion Alison A. Tickle A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences Newcastle University March 2015 Declaration of originality The material presented in this thesis is the original work of the candidate except as otherwise acknowledged. It has not been submitted previously in part or whole, for any award, at any university, at any other time. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and use thereof requires proper acknowledgement. The right of Alison A. Tickle to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ii Abstract Universal and culture-specific properties of the vocal communication of human emotion are investigated in this balanced study focussing on encoding and decoding of Happy, Sad, Angry, Fearful and Calm by English and Japanese participants (eight female encoders for each culture, and eight female and eight male decoders for each culture). Previous methodologies and findings are compared. This investigation is novel in the design of symmetrical procedures to facilitate cross-cultural comparison of results of decoding tests and acoustic analysis; a simulation/self-induction method was used in which participants from both cultures produced, as far as possible, the same pseudo- utterances. All emotions were distinguished beyond chance irrespective of culture, except for Japanese participants’ decoding of English Fearful, which was decoded at a level borderline with chance. Angry and Sad were well-recognised, both in-group and cross- culturally and Happy was identified well in-group.
    [Show full text]
  • The Expression, Experience, and Social Consequences of Guilt: a Cross-Cultural Study
    The expression, experience, and social consequences of guilt: A cross-cultural study Eglantine Julle-Danière Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Portsmouth. September 2019 The face is a picture of the mind Cicero (46, BCE) Abstract Guilt arises when someone feels s/he did something wrong; it is classified as a moral, self- conscious emotion and is one of the most social emotions that people experience throughout life. A facial expression of guilt may have evolved in humans to indicate one’s willingness to make amends. In this thesis, I investigate the form and social value of facial signals associated with guilt. First, I explored the facial signals reliably associated with guilt, using a bottom-up approach, and examined the facial movements associated with the perception of guilt. I found that self-reported guilt was associated with upper lip movement and neck touching, but the perception of guilt was associated with frowning and face touching. Second, I considered the influence of contextual information and methodology on the perception of guilt. The study revealed that the context helped the interpretation of a facial expression of guilt. However, people did not reliably identify a facial signal of guilt when using emotion or action tendency labels, but did so using dimensional ratings to a certain extent. Third, I explored the tendency people have to mislabel facial displays of guilt by looking at the eye fixation patterns. I found that ‘guilt’ facial expressions were examined similarly to basic emotion displays and this could indicate that the emotional display of guilt was perceived as a unique mix of primary emotions.
    [Show full text]