The Impact of Feeling Rules and Gender through Socialization and in Romantic Partnership
(2019) SOCM04 20182Sociology
- Abstract
- Emotion regulation and emotional work can have both positive and negative effects. Previous studies have suggested that emotion regulation is taught through early life socialization, and that this socialization may be gendered. If this were the case, we learn to regulate our emotions differently, and for some to, for instance, be socialized into suppressing their emotions may lead to negative consequences such as higher blood pressure or stress. Previous research has also suggested that the primary role of marriage and partnership has shifted from a financial motive to a motive for emotional companionship. As such, emotional work and the need for emotional intimacy has become more valuable in romantic partnership. The aim of this study is... (More)
- Emotion regulation and emotional work can have both positive and negative effects. Previous studies have suggested that emotion regulation is taught through early life socialization, and that this socialization may be gendered. If this were the case, we learn to regulate our emotions differently, and for some to, for instance, be socialized into suppressing their emotions may lead to negative consequences such as higher blood pressure or stress. Previous research has also suggested that the primary role of marriage and partnership has shifted from a financial motive to a motive for emotional companionship. As such, emotional work and the need for emotional intimacy has become more valuable in romantic partnership. The aim of this study is to gather the experiences from four male and four female informants regarding their socialization of emotion, emotional climate in the family, and feeling rules during both childhood and adulthood as well as emotion work, emotional work and need for emotional intimacy in romantic partnership, and the perspectives the informants have on the impact of gender during these processes. Through a phenomenological standpoint the study uses qualitative in-depth interviews with eight informants in order to gather information through the theoretical concepts of emotion work and feeling rules, using attachment and intimacy theories as a basis. The results show that the informants experienced and perceived gender as the most prevalent factor during their socialization of emotion and that believe emotional work and emotional intimacy is the primary motive for romantic partnership. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- How do we learn what emotions we should express and why? Depending on our social situations, we may feel expected to show a certain emotion. Are these expectations only based on our current situation, or are there other factors at play? Previous research has examined these questions and found that personal characteristics can play a part in what we believe we are expected to feel. Certain verbal cues, such as “big boys don’t cry” may guide us in a certain direction and make us alter our emotional expression. Our gender may be the biggest social factor on guiding our emotions since western stereotypes usually label women to be more emotional than men and build our expectations from this stereotype. This may lead us to try to regulate or... (More)
- How do we learn what emotions we should express and why? Depending on our social situations, we may feel expected to show a certain emotion. Are these expectations only based on our current situation, or are there other factors at play? Previous research has examined these questions and found that personal characteristics can play a part in what we believe we are expected to feel. Certain verbal cues, such as “big boys don’t cry” may guide us in a certain direction and make us alter our emotional expression. Our gender may be the biggest social factor on guiding our emotions since western stereotypes usually label women to be more emotional than men and build our expectations from this stereotype. This may lead us to try to regulate or alter our emotions in order to fit these expectations. The social norms and attitudes surrounding us may therefore have an impact on what we feel is expected of us emotionally and to what level.
As the function of partnership has changed in western civilization and progressed from a financially motivated function into a relationship based on companionship, emotions seem to play a bigger role in our romantic relationship. If we are guided to express or not express certain emotions during both childhood and in adult life, this may have an effect on our emotional behavior in romantic relationships.
This study explores the emotional social experiences of eight people, four men and four women living in Sweden, and their own perceptions of how gender influenced these experiences. It was found that gender and gendered stereotypes played a big role in their emotional expression growing up, through such experiences as being teased for crying as a young boy or having your emotions written off because ‘you’re just pmsing’. It was also found that they consider emotional intimacy the primary motive for romantic relationship, stating such things as “your partner is supposed to be your rock in everything” and “in a relationship you’re a team”. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8969484
- author
- Storck, Anneli LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20182
- year
- 2019
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Socialization of Emotion, Emotion Work, Emotional Work, Gender roles, Feeling rules, Emotional intimacy
- language
- English
- id
- 8969484
- date added to LUP
- 2019-02-14 08:46:58
- date last changed
- 2019-02-14 08:46:58
@misc{8969484,
abstract = {{Emotion regulation and emotional work can have both positive and negative effects. Previous studies have suggested that emotion regulation is taught through early life socialization, and that this socialization may be gendered. If this were the case, we learn to regulate our emotions differently, and for some to, for instance, be socialized into suppressing their emotions may lead to negative consequences such as higher blood pressure or stress. Previous research has also suggested that the primary role of marriage and partnership has shifted from a financial motive to a motive for emotional companionship. As such, emotional work and the need for emotional intimacy has become more valuable in romantic partnership. The aim of this study is to gather the experiences from four male and four female informants regarding their socialization of emotion, emotional climate in the family, and feeling rules during both childhood and adulthood as well as emotion work, emotional work and need for emotional intimacy in romantic partnership, and the perspectives the informants have on the impact of gender during these processes. Through a phenomenological standpoint the study uses qualitative in-depth interviews with eight informants in order to gather information through the theoretical concepts of emotion work and feeling rules, using attachment and intimacy theories as a basis. The results show that the informants experienced and perceived gender as the most prevalent factor during their socialization of emotion and that believe emotional work and emotional intimacy is the primary motive for romantic partnership.}},
author = {{Storck, Anneli}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Impact of Feeling Rules and Gender through Socialization and in Romantic Partnership}},
year = {{2019}},
}