Emotions and gender

a conceptual model of emotions in social interaction

Agneta H. Fischer

pp. 325-332

in: Stam, Leendert Mos, Warren Thorngate, Bernie Kaplan (eds), Recent trends in theoretical psychology, Berlin, Springer, 1993

Abstract

According to lay men, as well as psychologists and feminists it seems a well-established fact that women are generally more emotional than men. However, this view may be questioned on both theoretical and empirical grounds. The idea that emotionality is a general disposition is rejected, and it is proposed that emotions should be considered as social phenomena. Several sociological and social constructionist approaches of emotion are discussed. The view is defended that emotions are processes that may be regulated on the basis of cultural emotion rules, personal experiences and expected implications for oneself and others. These expectancies about emotional situations are called emotion scripts. In order to examine gender differences in emotions, it is argued that the influence of gender-specific emotion scripts should be examined.