the domain of emotion words on Ifaluk

Abstract

Internal feeling states have commonly been assumed to be the primary referents of emotion words in Western thought, both social-scientific (Cardiner, Metcalf, and Beebe-Center 1937; Solomon 1976Solomon , 1978 and lay (Davitz 1969). In these views, the function of the emotion word is to label an internal state and perhaps to communicate that state to others. To an important extent, however, scientific conceptions of emotion and person are rooted in In these societies, emotion words are seen as statements about the relationship between a person and an event (particularly those involving another person), rather than as statements about introspection on one's internal states. In addition, physiological descriptions of emotion do not frequently occur naturally and in some cases are extremely difficult to elicit (Cerber 1975:183).A study of emotion words on the Micronesian atoll of lfaluk indicates that these words are defined and sorted by informants based on the situations in which the emotion usually occurs. The way in which people talk about emotion words is related to broader ethnotheories about the nature of the self. The world view and values within which emotion words have meaning are therefore emphasized. The clusters and dimensions that emerge from card sorting by lfalukian informants display both some universal features of semantic meaning and some culturally specific foci that are related to the central values and ethnotheories of many Ifaluk. Although the differences between emotion words and emotions are clear, both cultural differences and universals in the meaning of emotion words can provide important evidence about the nature of emotion itself (Lutz 1981 b). ethnographic background and methodThe lfaluk are a Malayo-Polynesian group inhabiting a one-half square mile coral atoll in the Western Pacific.' The 430 members of this densely populated society subsist on taro,The cognitive organization of the domain of emotion words on the island of lfaluk is examined. Native speakers define and sort emotion words based on the situation in which the relevant emotion typically occurs. English emotion words, bv contrast, are usuallv organized on phvsiological principles. Universal dimensions of meaning found in other studies of psvchological language and culture are also found here, however, and these dimensions, being themselves multidimensional, are interpreted in light of the lfalukian ethos. [cognitive anthropology, emotion, ethnopsychology, psychological anthropology, Ifaluk]

The organization of verbs of knowing: Evidence for cultural commonality and variation in theory of mind

“…For example, research on the organization and structure of the emotion lexicon has generally indicated substantial cross-cultural commonalities and only more subtle variations in the organization of that domain (see Russell, 1991, for an excellent review). Close crosscultural correspondence is often obtained for at least one ofthe major dimensions (pleasure-displeasure being the strongest organizational feature found among emotion words) but not the others in multidimensional scaling of the words (Herrmann & Raybeck, 1981;Lutz, 1982;Russell, 1983;Russell et al, 1989). Thus, it appears that when the folk psychologies regarding both cognition and affect are taken into account, both cross-cultural commonalities and variations can be found in the ways that human beings construe the mind, although the particular insights vary from domain to domain.…”

Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology

“…Emotion has attracted growing attention from anthropologists, but has remained conceptually subordinate to cognition. Emotions have been defined as cognitive by making methodological choices to study them through essentially cognitive card-sorting tasks (Lutz 1982), by focusing on the culturally provided schemata for dealing with them (Levy 1973), or by defining them explicitly as interpretations constituted of concepts, beliefs, attitudes, and desires (Solomon 1984). A step toward the present position was taken by Rosaldo (1984), who suggested that emotions are a kind of cognition with a greater "sense of the engagement of the actor's self, .…”

Émotions fortes et constructionnisme faible

“…Dont les principaux défenseurs sont Armon-Jones, 1986a et b ; Averill, 1980Averill, , 1986Greenwood, 1992a et b ;Harré, 1986 ;Lutz, 1982Lutz, , 1986Lutz et White, 1986. 15. Certains constructionnistes soutiennent que la fonction des émotions est la régulation des comportements indésirables et la promotion des attitudes qui reflètent et endossent les pratiques religieuses, politiques et sociales d 'une communauté (Armon-Jones, 1986b).…”