Emotion Norms, Display Rules, and Regulation in the Akan Society of Ghana: An Exploration Using Proverbs
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-31-2018
Abstract
Proverbs are widely used by the Akan of West Africa. The current study thematically analyzed an Akan proverb compendium for proverbs containing emotion references. Of the identified proverbs, a focus on negative emotions was most typical. Emotion-focused proverbs highlighted four emotion regulation strategies: change in cognition, response modulation, situation modification, and situation selection. A subset of proverbs addressed emotion display rules restricting the expression of emotions such as pride, and emotional contagion associated with emotions such as shame. Additional themes including: social context influences on the expression and experience of emotion; expectations of emotion limits; as well as the nature of emotions were present in the proverb collection. In general, Akan emotion-related proverbs stress individual-level responsibility for affect regulation in interpersonal interactions and societal contexts.
Recommended Citation
Dzokoto, Vivian A.; Osei-Tutu, Annabella; Kyei, Jane J.; Twum-Asante, Maxwell; Attah, Dzifa A.; and Ahorsu, Daniel K., "Emotion Norms, Display Rules, and Regulation in the Akan Society of Ghana: An Exploration Using Proverbs" (2018). College of Humanities and Social Sciences. 429.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/college_humanities_social_sciences/429