Historical analysis in the study of emotion

Historical research on emotion has burgeoned in recent years. While some historians examine continuities in emotion despite changes in context—as in 19th- and 20th-century grief reactions—most attention has been directed toward charting major changes in emotional standards and explaining their causation. In Western civilization, the century and a half following about 1680 stands as a major period of emotional change, since emotions are linked to other facets of the social experience in a time of major ideological and economic transition. New emphasis on romantic love, restraint of anger, and the salience of guilt instead of shame develop in this transitional period, as well as improved ability to articulate emotional experience generally. Recent work also points to subsequent emotional shifts, even in recent decades, as in the targeting of anger and jealousy. Historical research and the overall emphasis on change as a factor in emotions study suggest new facets for other disciplines, including further work on the relationship between emotional standards and emotional experience.This article is based on an invited address, delivered to the Inaugural Plenary Meeting of the International Society for Research on Emotions at Harvard University, June 1985. The author is Heinz Professor of History, Carnegie-Mellon University, Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213.