Emotional Landscape Research Articles

‘I feel unbalanced’: bridging emotions, creativity, and translingual pedagogy with EMI students

ABSTRACT Recent research on stakeholders’ emotions in English-medium instruction (EMI) higher education settings has demonstrated the importance of engaging students with their emotions about the impact of EMI on their lives. This article presents a pedagogical intervention bridging emotions, creativity, and translingual pedagogy with EMI students in Qatar. Through a semester-long project, students engaged with translingual mentor texts, which served as models for ways of sharing perspectives and emotions about different named languages and through translingual practice. Students then crafted their own translingual literacy narratives, drawing upon their full linguistic and semiotic repertoires to explore their emotions about their relationship with English and Arabic. Lastly, they transformed their written narratives into a multimodal, multilingual video. This project enabled students to actively explore and understand how their emotions are influenced by broader sociohistorical discourses. Given the shifts in Qatar’s educational language policies and discourse surrounding language and identity, students expressed a complex array of emotions, especially pride and shame, which led to feelings of both belonging and alienation. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of the emotional landscape and tensions surrounding EMI and demonstrates how emotions research can be effectively applied in EMI higher education settings through pedagogical interventions.

‘The Great Mrs Churchill was No More’: Death in Jane Austen’s Novels

Death was a common occurrence in Jane Austen’s life. Her father died in 1805; her friend Mrs Lefroy was killed in an accident in 1804; her sister’s fiancé died in 1797. In the songs she sang and played, death was a recurrent theme, with sentimental and melodramatic lyrics vowing fidelity unto death, or mourning the passing of a lover or a sister. However, death usually keeps to the background of the emotional landscape of her novels. No character we ‘know’ well dies in the course of any of the novels, although some – Marianne Dashwood, Tom Bertram, Louisa Musgrove – may be in mortal danger. Deaths ‘offstage’ can liberate characters, like Eleanor Tilney and Frank Churchill. Other deaths, typically of parents before a novel’s action begins, put the main characters in perilous financial situations, or deprive them of essential moral and emotional support at an early age. The few examples where a child or young person has died – Fanny Price’s sister, Captain Benwick’s fiancée, Dick Musgrove – provide perceptive portrayals of characters grieving in their idiosyncratic ways. In this essay I aim to explore whether particular deaths are ever much more than plot devices in Austen’s novels. To what extent does the form of comedy constrain her from dealing with darker themes? Does her resistance to melodrama and sentimentality mean that she avoids deaths or intimations of mortality in the six completed works, or can grief and the fear of death undercut the gaiety of even the most light-hearted of her novels, and pervade the shadowy depths of the more serious works?

Losing the Tactile in Our Pandemic Moment

In this autoethnography, written mid-pandemic in 2021, I make sense of time, space, and place within the context of loss in our pandemic moment. I hope it encourages others to make sense of emotional landscapes in our changing times.

The role of emotions in human–nature connectedness within Mediterranean landscapes in Spain

Landscapes can lead to different emotions towards nature that in turn shape people’s environmental behavior and decision processes. This study explores the role of emotions that Mediterranean landscapes foster in people and to what extent these emotions are associated with human–nature connectedness (HNC). We conducted 176 face-to-face surveys to explore HNC and the diversity of emotions associated with a suite of landscapes in Southeast Spain. Results revealed that Marine and Coastal Protected Areas received the highest number of positive emotions, whereas Greenhouses and Non-Protected Littoral were linked to negative emotions. We propose a framework for classifying emotional landscapes according to four groups: emotionally positive, negative, polarized or neutral. Results showed that emotions might play a key role in shaping HNC in Spanish Mediterranean landscapes and may be used as a common ground for understanding roots underpinning human decisions and actions that lead to sustainable management or landscape degradation.

The Fairy Tales and Anne Sexton’s Transformation with Reference to Female Protagonists in Cinderella

Literature encompasses a wide range of genres, and fairy tales hold a significant position, particularly in children's literature, as they serve as an important avenue for children to explore and familiarize themselves with the English language and culture. Anne Sexton, a renowned writer known for her introspective style, has been a subject of both acclaim and controversy. However, Sexton's poetry is deeply influenced by European culture, especially the realm of fairy tales, where she undertakes the task of reimagining well-known tales with a specific emphasis on female protagonists. This article employs a methodological approach to examine Sexton's reinterpretation of these canonical narratives, providing valuable insights into the genre itself. Sexton's collection, "Transformations," serves as a valuable resource for understanding the fairy tale genre. According to Jack Zipes, a prominent scholar in fairy tale studies, fairy tales are fictional narratives that convey moral lessons and aid in language acquisition among children. It is essential to adapt fairy tales to suit the needs of children, as they contribute to enhancing their communication skills. However, when poetry, character development, and reality intersect, a captivating juxtaposition emerges. Sexton's pessimistic perspective alters the emotional landscape of the tales, thereby transforming the moral messages conveyed in her poems. Consequently, this adaptation brings to the forefront the clash between traditional, male-centric beliefs and feminism. To provide a comprehensive assessment of the issues under scrutiny, this study thoroughly examines and analyzes the recurring tales, their archetypal elements, specific structures employed in the poems, the portrayal of fictional characters, references to folklore, and characteristic attributes present in Sexton's works. By delving into these aspects, we gain a deeper understanding of the thematic and stylistic choices made by Sexton and their implications in the context of the fairy tale genre.

THE EMOTIONAL CONCEPT OF “SADNESS” IN THE COLLECTION OF STORIES “THE ROOM FOR SORROW” BY ANDRII LYUBKA

Scholars from diverse fields of the humanities, including sociology, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and others, have demonstrated a sustained interest in the realm of emotions. This is primarily because emotions are inextricably linked to crucial aspects of human existence such as behaviour, lifestyle, feelings and their expression, comprehension of the surrounding environment, and the human experience of life-altering circumstances. Every individual’s emotional landscape, as well as their linguistic expression, reflects a unique array of emotions. The article provides an overview of theoretical sources and examines the intricacies of the “concept” notion, which is central to the cognitive linguistics metalanguage. Moreover, the article introduces the term “emotional concept”, which constitutes fragments of the emotional landscape of an individual. In light of this, the language employed by select authors is of significant interest, as their works serve as a model of personal reinterpretation, while also reflecting their way of life, internal experiences, and the accuracy of their linguistic personality’s depiction of reality. The research presented in this article formulates and outlines methods for expressing the emotional concept of “sadness”, using the stories of Transcarpathian writer Andriy Lyubka as an exemplar. The emotional state of sadness has long captivated the attention of scholars across diverse fields of study. This is primarily because, alongside joy, it represents one of the two fundamental, polar emotions. The concept of sadness is universal, as it is comprehensible and relatable across all societies. Individuals can find themselves residing at the intersection of various intervals of sadness, which may arise from losses, disappointments, or physical and emotional pain. Given the universal and profound nature of this emotion, an exploration of Andrii Lyubka’s literary works allows for an examination of how the emotional concept of “sadness” is expressed across multiple language levels, including phraseology, stylistics, phonetics, morphology, and non-verbal communication. This research provides numerous examples that illustrate the description, usage, and implementation of the “sadness” concept within both written texts and spoken language. Key words: cognitive linguistics, linguistics of emotions, concept, emotional concept, emotional picture of the world, Andrii Lyubka.

Personal and contextual variables predict music consumption during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Canada.

The global COVID-19 lockdowns shattered familiar routines, plunging individuals into a disorienting emotional landscape characterized by loss, uncertainty, and a deep yearning for social bonds. Many employed coping strategies such as cleaning, dancing, and mindfulness-based practices to ameliorate negative emotions. Music listening was one of the most widely used coping strategies, moderated by personal and contextual variables. We obtained data from a Canadian national survey conducted in April 2020 to examine the role of personal (sex, age, education level, pre-pandemic income, minority status, feelings about music, and Schwartz's "personal values") and contextual variables (level of worry, changes to income, COVID-19 status and risk, having children at home, and internet access) in predicting music listening for stress relief, changes to music listening, changes to music watching, and music discovery. Our results indicate that women, younger adults, individuals who like or love music, and those reporting high levels of worry were more likely to listen to music to relieve stress. Personal variables were more significantly associated with music listening for stress relief than contextual variables.

Mitigating Weight Stigma in Long-Term Care With Trauma-Informed Principles

Mitigating Weight Stigma in Long-Term Care With Trauma-Informed Principles

Making a "Happy Hospital": Emotional Investment and Professional Identity Amongst Anglo-American Hospital Administrators.

This article examines the place of emotion in modern hospital administration and the relationship between professional identities and emotional landscapes in the healthcare field. The focus is a broad emotional and philosophical investment that many administrators made in their work. In the United States and then in Britain, amidst rapid change in the practice and provision of health services, a new sense of professional identity emerged. This was often underpinned by a kind of emotional investment, one which had to be constructed and cultivated. Here formal training and education, collective identities, and a shared understanding of the kind of personal qualities required were important. The extent to which developments in Britain were influenced by best practice in the US is also striking. This process might best be understood as the further drawing out of established beliefs and ways of working rather than an abstract transfer of ideas and practices across the Atlantic, but there was a distinct Anglo-American dimension to the development of hospital administration.

Emotional Landscape of Leadership: Exploring the Mediating Effects of Leadership Styles on Organizational Performance

Emotional Landscape of Leadership: Exploring the Mediating Effects of Leadership Styles on Organizational Performance

The emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education

This editorial piece is the introduction to our special issue on the emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education. In this piece, we argue for a greater focus on examining the emotional environment of EMI in higher education—the variety of emotions that get entangled in policies, discourses, and practices in local EMI contexts, and the emotional effects of EMI on various stakeholders, such as students, teachers, and administrators. We also center poststructural and critical approaches to examining emotions in EMI, which enable researchers to be responsive to the local contexts, and contribute to developing emotionally supportive and socially just EMI environments. The five empirical studies, two commentaries, and forum piece that constitute this special issue all develop these arguments further.

Commentary for “The emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education”

Commentary for “The emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education”

Forum on “The emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education”

Forum on “The emotional landscape of English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education”

Commentary: Understanding Emotions in EMI Institutions through Attending to Context, History, and Ideology

Commentary: Understanding Emotions in EMI Institutions through Attending to Context, History, and Ideology

Listening for the ‘I’ in infrastructure (and community) repair

Infrastructure work and maintenance are forms of care work as they involve the upkeep and repair of systems that sustain communities. We explore a global experiment of digital infrastructure stewardship and collective imagination called Solar Protocol: a network of solar-powered servers distributed around the globe. Through Sam, a dedicated maintenance worker in the Kalinago Territory in Dominica, we examine a journey through renewable energy technologies and community infrastructure in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The Solar Protocol network was created as a provocation and social invitation into collective stewardship and into rethinking planetary limits and environmental rhythms as creative opportunities rather than constraints. By using the Listening Guide (LG), a qualitative and relational research method focused on uncovering how people navigate human experiences, we explore the emotional aspects, challenges and motivations associated with caring for and with infrastructure. We demonstrate how the LG sheds light on the nuanced and complex emotional landscape of individuals and communities involved in digital stewardship work.

Language Role in Forming the Emotional Landscape of “Happier” by Olivia Rodrigo

Background: Songwriters use language in creative ways to create meaning and depth in a song because they want to convey a certain message or emotion. Songwriters use language to paint vivid images and evoke strong emotions in listeners. Aim: This research aims to provide a deeper understanding of how language can influence listeners' emotions and feelings through Olivia Rodrigo's musical artwork entitled Happier. Method: This study uses a qualitative research method with a language and literature analysis approach. The data collection technique is done by literature study. Findings: The results show that language is used to convey various emotions, including heartbreak, regret, and longing. The song lyrics are carefully crafted to create a specific emotional landscape that reflects the narrator's state of mind. In addition, the language used in the song reflects the cultural and social context in which it was created. The lyrics address issues such as social media comparisons, breakups, and the pressure to always be happy. Through the use of language, the song provides commentary on these issues and how they can affect one's emotional landscape.

Dystopian Emotions: Emotional Landscapes and Dark Futures by Jordan McKenzie and Roger Patulny (eds) (2022)

Dystopian Emotions: Emotional Landscapes and Dark Futures by Jordan McKenzie and Roger Patulny (eds) (2022)

The "pervasive" state: entrepreneurial identities, frustration, and gratitude.

The state has taken center stage during the COVID-19 pandemic in unanticipated ways. Rescuing private companies with public money exemplifies this, highlighting substantial state interventionism amidst a fairly dominant discourse of our times: that of the "neoliberal state." In this article, we focus on how owners of micro-businesses in Croatia constructed state practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and how interactions with the state prior to the pandemic contributed to these constructions. We reflect on the state as a historically embedded social relation that is understood, experienced, and felt. Drawing on interviews, we develop three themes that illustrate the layered and wrought relationship between business owners and the state, as they understand it to "exist"-state-mediated constructions of business owners: tycoons and heroes; frustrating state practices; contradictory images-the benevolent state. The pervasiveness of the state is reflected in how the post-socialist state has shaped professional identities in the business sector, in the overwhelmingly negative emotional landscape state practices seem to propel, but also in hints of state benevolence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The identified nexus of emotions in relation to state practices-exasperation, disappointment, indignation, gratitude-and their historical embeddedness are a strong indication of how present-day constructions of the state are an expression of "accumulated history." Based on their experiences with state practices, our interlocutors construct the state as corrupt, incompetent, inefficient, uncaring, coercive, only on occasion benevolent, and in a highly affective register as "unnecessary," while also expressing a desire for a state that "cares," particularly in disaster settings.

“When I say I'm depressed, it's like anger.” An exploration of the emotional landscape of climate change concern in Norway and its psychological, social and political implications

Climate anxiety discourse focuses predominantly on individualised and potentially mentally disturbing aspects of emotional responses to the awareness of climate change which can silence the mobilising charge of strong emotions in response to climate change. We critically examine this perspective and explore the range, context, and perceived effects of emotional responses to climate change based on 33 in-depth interviews with people self-identified as highly concerned about this issue in the context of oil-wealthy Norway. Thematic analysis revealed that lived emotional experience of concern about climate change is characterised by a complex palette of co-occurring and dynamically linked emotions reported in relation to 16 evocative themes. We analyse the perceived effects of these emotions focusing on five areas: participants' mood and wellbeing, concerns about existing and hypothetical children, feelings of alienation, responsibility for the climate situation, and positive experience in the context of climate change. We discuss the psychological, social and political implications of participants' emotional experience, considering the Norwegian context, and we conclude that it goes beyond potentially debilitating and paralysing feelings, and includes politically charged moral anger and collective guilt, as well as love for nature, and a sense of community around collective climate action.

La Vagabonde assise – space, place and the meaning of home in Colette and other women writers

Nick Hewitt wrote wonderfully well about the significance of different places in French history and culture, and in our lives. Colette was a chronicler of places, from the famous childhood house and garden in Burgundy, to Brittany, Provence and of course Paris. But as her writing moves across regions and houses, home recurs as a crucial place in the emotional landscape of a human life. Nick was also always attentive to the relationship between canonical and ‘minor’ authors, and to the interplay between socio-political moment and cultural production. In this article home is examined as a vital and recurring theme not only in the work of Colette but also in that of her lesser-known female contemporaries – for home as a place has particular practical and emotional meanings for women.