In modern times,American culture has adopted the view that in order for emotional life to be in balance,one must express one's innermost feelings.This view is congruent with concepts of the individual as separate and in need of fulfillment through expression of the self,in order to maintain one's person as unique and separate.The focus of emotion here is to express,and therefore balance,an internal personal feeling state.
In valuing the interdependent self as seen in Chinese culture,however,expression of emotion is often seen as imbalancing.Being a culture that relies largely on the harmony of interactions between individuals,expressing one's personal emotions can upset a fragile social balance.Reserve and control are considered qualities of high moral character and a balanced emotional state.Indeed,emotions that are too strong are often thought to cause physical illness.Learn more about emotions...
Looking in reverse,starting from how people in Chinese and American cultures deal with and express their emotions,can we see how emotions and the self are defined by their cultures?In Lum’s study,it was found that immigrants reported having used more love expressions the longer they resided in the United States,perhaps suggesting that emotion is expressed more freely in the United States than where the immigrants happened to be from.Within interdependent cultures,emotions do not have as much emphasis as it does in the independent cultures,where emotions are seen as “a motivational force in achieving personal goals” Many researchers have noted that emotions in the Chinese,or interdependent cultures are present within individuals but are merely concomitant experiences to everyday life,but not entirely fundamental.If these statements bare truth,then how can we explain the expressions of emotion within the media such as in songs,on television,or even in poetry?