Emotions and culture

An emotion is a conscious, intentional response directed toward an object; is dependent on cultural, biological, and psychological factors; and is observer-dependent—emotions exist only in the minds of individuals. Emotions are both intrapersonal and interpersonal phenomena, are often conveyed behaviorally (e.g., facial expressions, body postures, inflections), and are almost always felt physiologically (e.g., increased heart rate). People around the world experience emotions, and thus how emotions are experienced, expressed, perceived, and regulated varies greatly. Enculturation, or the socialization of a developing human mind to a particular culture context, is the platform from which variation in emotion emerges.

Human neurology can explain some of the cross-cultural similarities in emotional phenomena, including certain physiological and behavioral changes. 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. This relationship is not one-sided – because behavior, emotion, and culture are interrelated, emotional expression can also influence cultural change or maintenance over time.

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. 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. 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.