“Feelings” and “emotions” as sociological categories

Abstract

The concept of ‘feelings’ and ‘emotions’ occupy a pivotal place in the system of categories of the sociology of emotions. They were constructed in the context of psychology and suited to specific tasks appropriate to its subject matter. The sociology of emotions, not only continues the tradition of psychology, but also significantly changes the subject, requiring an equally substantial correction of the categorical apparatus. However, despite the great work done in this direction, it is still excessively tied to psychology, and the boundary between the categories of ‘feelings’ and ‘emotions’ is obscured to such an extent that often just disappears. The purpose of this article is clarification of these categories and the boundaries between them. The analysis and synthesis of existing definitions has been done and the author’s own version of the streamline has been proposed. Feelings describe the inner experiences of a different sort caused by both biological and social factors. Managing feelings involves bringing them in line with the role expectations that integrate them in the subject field of sociology. Feelings are the essence which emerges in the form of emotions. Primary emotions directly reflect the feelings and do not have an intentional character; however, being shown in the public space, they become subject to interpretation by others in accordance with the emotional language of this cultural milieu. Emotions, being a part of the social roles that are constructed, reveal the different forms of interrelations with feelings. At one extreme of the continuum, emotions adequately express the feelings experienced from the point of view of their content and intensity. The more situation is far away from this pole the more the link is relative, and, at the other extreme, it disappears entirely: emotions have no feelings behind them. Refs 27.