Understanding Emotional Identities: The Dutch Phlegmatic Temperament as Historical Case-Study
Throughout history emotions and emotional styles have functioned as social markers to make a distinction between groups in societies. This essay introduces the concept of ‘emotional identity’ to reflect upon the underlying dynamic process in which both insiders and outsiders use (the handling of) emotions, or the lack thereof, to characterise a group of persons. Taking the allegedly phlegmatic temperament of the Dutch as an example, it explains how such identities come into being and are sustained, but also contested, reappraised and altered over time. It discusses the non-exclusive and inhere... Mehr ...
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Dokumenttyp: | Artikel |
Erscheinungsdatum: | 2014 |
Verlag/Hrsg.: |
Koninklijk Nederlands Historisch Genootschap
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Schlagwörter: | Low Countries / history of emotions |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Permalink: | https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-27413584 |
Datenquelle: | BASE; Originalkatalog |
Powered By: | BASE |
Link(s) : | https://bmgn-lchr.nl/article/view/URN%3ANBN%3ANL%3AUI%3A10-1-10-1-10-1-110095 |
Throughout history emotions and emotional styles have functioned as social markers to make a distinction between groups in societies. This essay introduces the concept of ‘emotional identity’ to reflect upon the underlying dynamic process in which both insiders and outsiders use (the handling of) emotions, or the lack thereof, to characterise a group of persons. Taking the allegedly phlegmatic temperament of the Dutch as an example, it explains how such identities come into being and are sustained, but also contested, reappraised and altered over time. It discusses the non-exclusive and inherently paradoxical nature of emotional group identities as well as some of the key mechanisms and patterns of adjustment that account for the long life of the stereotypes involved. While the essay covers a time span of two millennia, it focuses mainly on the early modern era when classical climate zone theories merged with new modes of national thinking and even allowed for the smooth introduction of an entirely new element into the stolid character of the Dutch, that is, the national passion for profit. This article is part of the special issue 'Batavian Phlegm?'. De dynamiek van emotionele identiteiten. Het Nederlands flegmatisch temperament als historische case-studyEmoties en emotionele stijlen zijn in de geschiedenis regelmatig aangewend als sociaal onderscheidingsmiddel om groepen in de samenleving verschillend te waarderen. Dit artikel introduceert het begrip ‘emotionele identiteit’ om na te kunnen denken over het onderliggende dynamische proces waarin direct betrokkenen en buitenstaanders (het omgaan met) emoties, of het gebrek daaraan, gebruiken om een groep van personen te typeren. Met het verondersteld flegmatisch temperament van de Nederlanders als voorbeeld wordt uitgelegd hoe zulke identiteiten tot stand komen en in stand blijven, maar ook aangevochten kunnen worden en door de tijd heen onderhevig zijn aan veranderingen en herwaarderingen. Besproken worden de niet-exclusieve en inherent paradoxale aard van ...