Some experts predict that the emotional structure will change drastically because of  the Internet. (PHOTO: CFP)

For much of history, human emotions were thought to be individual behaviors that had little connection with social background. Since the 1970s, however, the study of emotions has advanced rapidly and come to the forefront of sociological analysis. Gradually, the sociology of emotions emerged as a distinct area of inquiry in Western Europe and North America.

From human emotions to society
The rationalism paradigm and psychology are inadequate to address the growing number of social problems, and the sociology of emotions is required to fill in the gaps.

The sociology of emotions is a relatively new subfield of sociology that first gained attention about 30 years ago. Sociologists have borrowed from their respective theoretical traditons to conduct research on human emotions and develop their own propositions and hypotheses.
 

Cheng Boqing, deputy dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Nanjing University, said that classical sociology attaches great importance to emotions, and its prominence in sociology signifies that sociology has returned to looking at matters of daily life.
 

In addition, other disciplines, namely psychology, neuroscience and anthropology, have made progress, which offers some reference for emotional analysis in terms of conceptual tools and analytical methods, Cheng said.
 

“Sociology classifies emotions as a kind of ‘purely subjective reality,’” said Guo Jingping, a professor of the School of Humanities and Communication at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics. Sociology of emotions focuses on the social and cultural environment in which emotions exist, the social nature and developmental process of emotions, the social structure and function of emotions, and the social issues it carries, Guo said.

Cheng said sociology of emotions not only explores emotions from a sociological perspective but also attempts to gain more accurate insights into society through emotions to enrich the sociological outlook.
 

Emotional conflicts
Sociology of emotions is strongly oriented toward real-world applications.

Guo said the first-hand emotional experience obtained through research on emotional phenomena and problems in reality is conducive to reveal and confirm the essence, structure, significance and function of emotions so that sociology of emotions can guide people’s lives in practice.
 

In her opinion, the emphasis on specific emotional social phenomena is an important characteristic of the discipline at its maturing stage.

Influenced by the current social atmosphere, emotions are usually physiological and ephemeral, while little attention has been given to the historical dimensions of emotional attachment, especially the implication of emotions for the deep meaning of life, Cheng said.
 

Modernization has completely altered the way people communicate emotions in contemporary society. Online communication enlarges the scope of emotional support, reducing the costs and burden so that people of different ages, genders, appearances, locations and occupations can easily contact each other. Some predict that the emotional structure will change drastically because of  the Internet.

“Thanks to technological advances in data mining, in particular methods of big data analysis, macroscopic research on human emotions is quite promising and it’s possible that we can decode ‘emotional conflicts’ empirically,” Cheng said.
 

The important issue is how to bring forth modern emotional problems with sociological meaning that mirror the spirit of the times, Cheng said.
 

Measuring emotions
Emotion is an inner psychological phenomenon as well as an external social action. It is a kind of experience variable as well as a kind of value experience.

Cheng said the sociology of emotions is highly dependent on observation and in-depth interviews in terms of research methods to conduct an ethnography-like scan, thus reflecting the social context and complicated implications of emotional experience. Other documents, such as files, biographies, diaries and letters, may also be sorted to identify the evolution of emotional structure.
 

At present, computer simulation and video clips of approximate real life situations can measure emotional responses. However, the subjects are displaced from the actual social situation. Therefore, Guo suggested emotions should be studied within a certain social scenario.
 

Current measurement of the physiological responses of emotions is mainly confined to autonomic reactions or endocrine response. Sociologists need to probe deeper and seek new methods for measuring brain activity and activating bone and muscle tissue in order to make new breakthroughs.

 

Ming Haiying is a reporter from Chinese Social Sciences Today.