SOC344 2020 Tut3 – Mon 12.30pm

As Patulny and Olsen note, emotional complexity has evolved in late modernity (2019, pg. 14). The societal shift to service-orientated workplaces (2019, p. 13) has a particular relevance to myself as someone who works in the hospitality industry. My work environment, has generated and evoked many complex emotions, specifically feelings of embarrassment but also pride. The emergence of social media in late modernity has impacted my involvement with politics, which in turn has led me to experience a range of emotions (2019, p. 17). Whilst certain news stories often make me feel angry and sad, these emotions combine to elicit further feelings of shame and empathy. On a number of occasions I have experienced the complex emotion of ambivalence, which was an overwhelming sensation without any justification or reasoning (2019, p. 15). Do you think that there will be an increase in feelings of emotional ambivalence due to the current global pandemic?

When being asked to reflect on my current emotions, I would have to say fear and frustration are emotions that come to mind. Not knowing when this pandemic crisis will cease or when our lives can return to ‘normal’ and interact with our family and friends again. My emotions seem to be basic and individual to a certain degree. The readings for this week convey that modern institutions (external factors) in particular both the government and media can have a great impact upon influencing our emotions. When reflecting upon the news and what they generate, it is generally negative content we are receiving rather than positive. Although there are the occasion positive sectors here and there it focusses mainly on the negative which can generate a great deal of fear, insecurity and concern for members of our society as it is easy for the media to manipulate our emotions.

In the lecture, I was introduced to Nobert Elias’ The Civilising Process – the history of manners. It essentially outlined how certain treaties were put in place to introduce formalisation and attempt to change what was considered acceptable in everyday context and subsequently convert fairly simple feelings into complex ones. I believe that with the civilising process, came a social hierarchy – separating those who abided by the rules from those who did not – excusing those of a high class, who according to Wouters (2004, p.209) functioned as ‘models of manners’, to judge those below them. As a result, people began to internalise their emotions – converting simple feelings into complex ones as they lacked the skill of emotional management. Due to the simple desire to be socially accepted among the hierarchy, many people subconsciously punished themselves for not acting, or merely thinking in accordance with formalised manners. How do socially-presumed manners influence your emotions?

The last time I have felt something ambiguous has been throughout the world’s current events. A mixture between anxious, uncertainty and hope as I’m sure many others are feeling. The essential readings of this week agree with the ideas that external factors, such as modern institutions have a significant role in shaping our emotions. The government and media in particular have enough power in our society to influence us to feel how they want us to feel, which is generally fear, anxiety and uncertainty which most of us are currently feeling. Wouters (2004) found that socially accepted emotions change based on current trends. With this current pandemic and the fear instilled in us by the government and the media, it has become a social norm to be panicked, worried and anxious. This proves the idea that society has a strong influence on the way our emotions are constructed. After reflection on my current feelings I would agree that they are complex and social.

Charles Darwin argued in 1872 that emotions were innate, evolved and had a functional purpose (The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals). Paul Ekman’s facial action coding system classified that there are seven emotional expressions universal to individuals globally: happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger, disgust and contempt. These were then narrowed down to four base emotions that all humans, no matter their upbringing, experienced: happiness, sadness, anger and fear. Subsequently, all the rest are variations of emotion that have evolved over time, and reflect the various social and cultural influences. Norbert Elias’ Civilising Process (1978) documented such changes, stating that human bodies and minds became disciplined through sanctions and control in the form of ‘manners’, and what was once socially acceptable is now deemed inappropriate. As a result, emotions became internalised and compartmentalised, thus gaining complexity. Emotions such as shame, embarrassment and guilt became associated with social order, and blurred the lines between individual and social emotions. Foucault’s study of discipline and punishment further reduce emotions to reflect institutional mechanisms, making the experience of emotional ambiguity more common, due to the bureaucratic nature of systems in place today.

The essential reading by Patulny and Olson for this week is in regards to complex emotions and how external factors can cause an effect on a persons emotions and that these emotions can cause powerful negative thoughts. These emotions have definitely erupted over the last month regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that is sweeping around the globe infecting as of today over 1 million people and sadly is almost reaching 70,000 deaths. According to Patulny and Olson, our emotions are easily manipulated by institutes such as the media and government (2019. p.17-18). What this means in regards to the pandemic is that the media has become a 24 hour news cycle whereby the only news that is being reported on is about COVID-19 and does not give its viewers some respite by reporting other news that is more positive. Also the government plays a part in manipulating our emotions by providing daily updates on the statistics on the virus as well as informing the public of ever increasing restrictions on the population and the consequences associated such as fines and jail for those who disobey these restrictions which subsequently manipulates our emotions to fear going outside.

The part of ‘Mediated emotions’ from the reading of Patulny and Olson can sum up the current emotion I have with the ongoing pandemic, with new information at your fingertips is hard not to have a complex feeling, even though those do not come from a form of political, but the effect is the same toward those who are in the receiving end, it before a never-ending loop (2019, p.18), the case of unfamiliarity might cause unwanted emotion or feelings of fear, insecurity and powerlessness (Wouters 2004, p.208). even in a time like this, most of us are remaining in a good manner and being sensible due to the social groups aspiring (Wouters 2004, p.194), another to put it is, people are most likely don’t want to lose their faces (be disgraced) by doing a stupid thing, cause the society is frowned upon on those type of action (Wouters 2004, p.197).

According to this week reading some of our essential emotions are directly affected by external factors. Even, emotions could be affected by environmental, social and international conditions. The influence of the constant information that leads to the complex emotions though media. Some of the emotions that I have experienced over the past few weeks were impact from the news of spread of COVID19, feeling of confusion were sometimes accompanied by fear, anger and sadness. This emotion was directly affected by a global catastrophe that affected every human being.

After analysing both of the essential readings for this week it becomes clear that some emotions, dependant on their "way of expression", can be "universally understood" due to heightened levels of empathy, emotions such as happiness, sadness and anger can widely be understood by others of differing backgrounds. All emotions experienced have the capacity to be both basic and complex as well as individual and social based on what is the triggering experience for these emotions to occur. It is clear to see that the "modern institutions of society" impact out emotions because they consciously and subconsciously impact every aspect of our life. When being asked to reflect upon my current feelings right now I would be feeling tired, annoyed and angry as I have just finished working all day in a busy fruit, deli and grocery shop where I was yelled at in front of everybody because we have a 2 per person limit on pasta and I did not allow a customer to purchase 7 packets no matter how badly she wanted them (something so minuscule in relation to the wider world, I know). My feelings would be relatively basic and individual after being influenced on a social capacity.

Within recent events, of both internal and external sources, an emotion that has arisen is anxiety. Seen within Robert Plutchik’s work, out of his 8 basic emotions are joy, sadness, trust, disgust, fear, anger, surprise, and anticipation. The emotions are able to create new combinations of emotions, complex emotions, such as anxiety which is a mixture of anticipation and fear. Patulny and Olson, stated that it is seen through modern institutes of society is key to manipulating our emotions (2019 p. 17-18). This can be seen through the constant updates COVID-19 through media and social media outlets which creates mass hysteria internationally as it is an unfamiliar situation to them especially at an such an increasing rate but also collecting information at said pace. Within Wouters’ chapter (2004), it is stated that overtime through status is attained through different emotions. It has been prominent from the Renaissance up to the 19th century, status-anxiety and shame stems from the expected pressure of manners of the lower class (Wouters 2004, p. 196). As these emotions were looked down upon, it caused individuals to have a conscious mind manners to expand and diminish those behaviours (Wouters 2004, p. 204). References Cherry, K 2020, ‘How Many Human Emotions Are There?’, Verywellmind, blog post, January 22, viewed on the 2 April 2020 Wouters, C 2004, Changing regimes of manners and emotions: from disciplining to informalizing, in Loyal, S & Quilley, S(ed.), The sociology of Norbert Elias, Cambridge University Press. Patulny, R & Olson, R 2019, Emotions in late modernity / [edited by] Roger Patulny [and five others], Routledge studies in the sociology of emotions, Routledge, pp. 8-24 Wouters, C 2004, ‘Changing regimes of manners and emotions: From disciplining to informalization’, in S Loyal & S Quilley (eds), The Sociology of Norbert Elias, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 193-211.

Wouters begins by referring to Norbert Elias who found evidence of long-term changes in social codes linked to changes in power and dependency relationships, competition for status and changes in the manners of classes, sexes and age groups. Elias explains how bodily functions and sleeping arrangements became more intimate and private and more self-regulated. This “civilising progress” is linked to the rise of states. Wouters believes the taming of aggressiveness led to a growing sensitivity towards violence, suffering and blood. Wouters explores relationships between individuals and groups (social classes, sexes, generations) oncogenesis and psychic processes impacting emotions within people- psychogenesis. She explains the dominant code of manners works to maintain. social dividing lines between classes. Manners have become more lenient and accepting throughout the C20 when a collective “emancipation of emotions” occurred. The role played by the working classes, women, youth and blacks and decolonisation is examined. Wouters concludes that social groups and psychic functions have become more integrated, flowing and flexible causing sociogenesis and psychogenesis to create “a third nature” personality. The “second nature” is the self-regulating conscience whereas the third nature is more reflexive regarding situations and relationships.

A recent ambiguous emotion that I have felt is apprehension. With moral panics and constant media streams regarding the current pandemic, fear for my health has increased. Fear is agreed upon as a primary/basis emotion by multiple theorists, including Ekman, Plutchik, and lesser known researchers (Cherry 2020). Patulny and Olsen (2019) state that emotions are mediated through social interactions, thus explaining one reason behind my apprehension. Apprehension can also be fractured into surprise and anticipation, due to continuous social changes. Turner and Stets (2005) accept Plutchik's ‘wheel of emotions’ and highlight the role of social construction within complex emotions, thus highlighting the possibility of changed social expectations impacting my emotions. Wouters (2004) also identifies the informalisation of emotions within late modernity through an increase of social mixing, implying well-established emotional norms. However, ambiguous emotions continue to exist, therefore how would the social structuring of emotional control evolve to lessen the commonality of ambiguity of complex emotions? Reference List Cherry, K 2020, ‘How many human emotions are there?’, Very Well Mind, weblog post, 22 January, viewed 30 March 2020, < https://www.verywellmind.com/how-many-emotions-are-there-2795179>. Patulny, R & Olsen, R 2019, ‘Emotions in late modernity’, in R Patulny, R Olsen, A Bellochi, S Khorana, J McKenzie & M Peterie (eds), Emotions in Late Modernity, Routledge, Abington, p. 8-24. Turner, JH & Stets, JE 2005, The Sociology of Emotions, Cambridge University Press, Campaign. Wouters, C 2004, ‘Changing regimes of manners and emotions: From disciplining to informalization’, in S Loyal & S Quilley (eds), The Sociology of Norbert Elias, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 193-211.

The essential readings look at the transition from the mind/body split, and investigate the complexity of emotions, particularly through social interactions. Wouters (2004, p. 199) examines this through “manners books”, formalising one's actions. However, it is noted that manners have become informalised overtime, with the ease of social mobility (Wouters 2004, p. 194). Patulny and Olson (2019, p. 12) discuss the "civilising process" through mentioning the "looking glass", whereby individuals have become socially aware and can modify their actions accordingly based on others' perceptions of them. I believe my current feeling of being “content” is not only “social” from the support of my family and friends amidst this chaotic time. But, it is also “complex”; a mixture of “calm and “happy”. The last time I felt something ambiguous was last week with the university’s changes. It was a mixture of familiar emotions; overwhelmed, sad and afraid. As individuals we are so quick to compartmentalise our emotions, thus is it possible that basic emotions; like happiness, are not simply just one distinct emotion, but have actually been catalysed by other emotions?