The Emotions: A Cultural Reader

Description

Emotions are a loaded topic. From love and hate to grief, fear and envy, emotions are increasingly understood as driving forces in social life. The Emotions: A Cultural Reader applies a cross-cultural perspective on emotions. It examines the fact that emotions are socially and culturally constructed, while highlighting problems of comparison and translation of local terms and emotional experiences. Are emotions cultural or universal? To what extent are there culturally distinct emotions? The Emotions closes the traditional Western gap where emotions are separated from rationality and thought: the heart versus mind debate. By presenting both classic essays and new cutting-edge chapters from anthropology, sociology and psychology with important contributions from philosophy and neuroscience, the volume connects a rich range of cross-cultural studies to form a thriving interdisciplinary debate on emotions.

Helena Wulff is Associate Professor of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, Sweden.

'I believe that several essays in this book will make readers feel very differently about emotions. It is recommended for anyone who would like to have their cultural beliefs vigorously shaken up.' Media/Culture Reviews online 'Anthropologist Wulff has assembled the most comprehensive collection of theoretically rich and empirically diverse articles on emotions to date. Highly recommended.' Choice Magazine