The discipline of emotions between introspection and performance: practices and discourses of control in Toraja (Indonesia)

Abstract

The article examines the cultural emphasis on emotional control in Indonesian societies, particularly among the Toraja people. The authors explore how emotional regulation is a significant cultural value, reflected in daily behaviors and social interactions. The study draws on extensive anthropological literature that highlights the composure and restraint in emotional expressions observed in Southeast Asian cultures. By analyzing practices and discourses related to emotional control, the research delves into the ways emotions are managed both at an individual and communal level. The Toraja's emotional discipline is linked to moral and health-related beliefs, emphasizing the interplay between internal states and social harmony. This study contributes to understanding how emotional experiences are culturally constructed and regulated, challenging Western notions of emotion as purely internal and psychological phenomena.