Cultural concerns: How valuing social-image shapes social emotion

ABSTRACT

I present a conceptual and methodological approach that views emotion as immersed in culture and driven by cultural concerns. These cultural concerns include a desire for positive social-image (e.g., honor), as well as values regarding preferred relations between the individual and the group (e.g., vertical individualism and horizontal collectivism). The research I present covers a wide range of emotions about being valued (e.g., pride and happiness) and devalued (e.g., sadness, fear, and shame) by others in a wide range of cultures, with a special focus on understudied populations in psychology (e.g., Pakistanis; Turkish, Moroccan, and Bangladeshi cultural minorities in Europe; and Muslim minorities in the U.S. and Europe). This research also covers diverse aspects of emotions, including appraisal, motivations, and actions.

KEYWORDS:

• Culture
• cultural concerns
• emotion
• social-image
• honor