Introduction
Emotions are debated and multilayered concepts that have been worked on by diverse fields such as psychology, cultural anthropology, physiology, medicine, neurology, etc. In the dictionary, the term “emotion” is defined as “a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as a strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body” (“Definition of emotion,” n.d.). Although this definition, emotions are usually mixed with feelings, moods, emotional expressions, and behaviors. Additionally, the term being emotional is mostly related to being irrational. While being rational is assumed to be good, being emotional is assumed to be too sensitive, unstable, and irrational.
“I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”
― Oscar Wilde, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
As seen in the quotation, emotions are reflected as the things that a person should control, dominate, and manage to act rationally. In the Western world, emotions (especially negative emotions) are mostly associated with women. As stated in “The Gender of Emotions” (2018):
“Women, reputed to be irrational and closer to nature, would by the same token display greater sensitivity than men; would be readier to express their feelings (to the point of being overwhelmed by them); and would pass more quickly from one emotion to another, becoming insane or hysterical. Men, the repository of culture and reason, would exert greater self-control, and be better able to master the expression of their feelings, veering less often between them.”
Content
This categorization is caused by the dualistic way of dividing up every concept into “two” as negative/positive, good/ bad, nature/culture, rational/irrational, feminine, and masculine. The binary opposition of nature to culture shows its effect in gender theory as mentioned above.
Gendered Perceptions of Emotions
In “Is female to male as nature is to culture?” Sherry Ortner argues a common conception of women as “closer to nature than men.” According to Shery Ortner, “women’s universal subordination” to men is caused by the binary opposition between biology (nature) and culture (Ortner, 1972). In every culture, women are identified with certain elements that are considered worthless according to that culture (wilderness, being emotional, unstable). With Strauss’s reference to universality and nature, Ortner deduces that if women are considered secondary, then it is necessarily related to nature (McGee & Warms, 2016, p. 350). Universally, women are positioned at the nature pole of the nature-culture dichotomy. According to Ortner, the reason for this is the physiology of the woman, her social role, and the spiritual structure of the woman (Özbudun, Şafak, & Altuntek, 2016, p.372). As a woman can give birth to a child and then breastfeed due to her biology, she is considered close to nature, and due to the social role of motherhood, her area of action is limited to the home.
“I think one reason why emotions got short shrift for a long time was that they were considered infra dig, not a worthy subject of study. A common view in our society, even nowadays, is that Emotions (capital E) belong to the devalued region below the neck; are more the property of women than men; and are antithetical to Reason (capital R)-which is a very high-status concept indeed. (I have it on good authority that this point of view has a long history in the Western world. My historian friend Stuart Pierson [personal communication] tells me that both Macchiavelli and Richelieu considered emotions wholly destructive of proper social order. There was nothing good to be said about them at all; they were just for women.” (Briggs, 2000)
Even though scientific research shows that there is no difference in emotionality between genders, there is a long history of considering emotion in a derogative way. In history, the source of negative emotions was thought of as the uterus. Since women have a uterus, they are medically diagnosed as hysteric (unstable, emotional, nervous, vulnerable) however men are healthy (because they do not have a uterus). Because of the problematic definitions and approaches, emotions were seen as not necessary concepts to study. In the early years of psychology, emotions were generally considered notions that emerged as a result of war, migration, and trauma. With the rise of positive psychology, interest and awareness of emotions and the concept of emotional intelligence increased and academic studies began to be carried out.
Conclusions
To sum up, we don’t talk much about emotions, emotions help us relate to other people. We tend to focus more on what we’re doing or what we’re thinking rather than what we’re feeling. Most people have no education about emotions and emotional intelligence. Instead, we’re supposed to learn socially how to express our feelings by observing people around us. That causes stereotypical categorization of emotions and emotional expressions according to gender roles.
“You are too sensitive”
“Men should not cry”
“Don’t show your emotions”
“Boys are strong, girls are sensitive and vulnerable”
