Introduction. Discourses on emotion

Abstract

The study explores the anthropology of emotions, challenging the traditional view that emotions are innate, universal, and purely biological phenomena. Instead, it adopts a discursive approach, inspired by Michel Foucault, viewing emotions as socio-cultural constructs shaped by specific systems of meaning and values. This perspective emphasizes that emotions are not inherent, but are formed through social practices, subjective experiences, and power relations. The discourse on emotions thus contributes to constructing both the individual's emotional life and the collective emotional landscape. The essays in this volume critically engage with this approach, examining local emotional discourses and their implications for social differentiation, power dynamics, and the construction of subjectivity.