10/19/2021; Week 6: Response to "Differences in Emotional Expressivity"

 Differences in Emotional Expressivity

By Angélica Conde

Emotions and emotional expressions are invaluable in facilitating social interactions and relationships. The ability to decode emotional signals on the face that are applicable across cultures, ethnicities, and gender is beneficial in our daily lives and social interactions. 

At the same time, culture provides an essential guideline in socially modifying one's facial reactions in order to create smooth social interactions for social coordination. 

But, What about if we are part of another culture? Are we going to understand the same expression or emotion in the same way?

Probably, no.

We all, as human beings, have emotions and represent those emotions by facial expressions or maybe not.

I grew up in a macho culture where boys are taught not to cry because men are not supposed to cry. So many families raise their children under that paradigm and boys are forced not to feel or express their emotions, not to cry for fear of being embarrassed by their own father, normally.

Machismo is a very controversial subject and I once had a rather difficult experience.

One of my students, a 6 to a 7-year-old boy, was very rude and handled this concept of not crying because he was a boy. 

One day while the children from that classroom were playing soccer, I was observing each child in the group. They fell down on the grass, they collided, they screamed, and more for the euphoria of the game. But this little boy fell over and didn't cry, instead of that he was really upset. 

Soccer is a contact game that if you've played it before you know what I'm talking about.

Suddenly, when they were going after the ball, this child of whom I speak and another collided strongly while running after the ball. But as I expected, this child didn't cry, but he did become very red and angry while I consoled and checked the other who was crying without consolation.

This child didn't cry because he was taught not to cry, as for example in other cultures expressions of affection in public are not accepted., or not to laugh louder.

As teachers of a second language, we are going to face situations in which we have to learn from a variety of cultures. Our job is to understand and respect just like the students do.

🤔Consider your own concept of self for a moment. What kinds of pastimes do you prefer?            

Activities that make you excited or ones that make you calm? 

References:

 Differences in Emotional Expressivity - Dr. John J. Ivers

Culture and emotion  - Jeanne Tsai