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Article published In:
Narrative Construction of Emotional Life
[Journal of Narrative and Life History 5:3] 1995
► pp. 221–237

What Is This Thing Called Love? Emotional Scenarios in Historical Perspective

| Department of Psychology Pennsylvania State University
| Department of Psychology Swarthmore College

Abstract From a social-constructionist standpoint, emotional expressions are constitu-ents of lived narratives, and gain their meaning from their position within these narratives. These special forms of narrative, termed emotional scenarios, are themselves lodged within a broader cultural and historical landscape. This article compares major features of romantic love scenarios as they have changed from 19th century romanticist culture, through 20th century modern-ism, and into the contemporary postmodern context. We identify major ways in which the individual participant in romantic scenarios may identify the self, gender variations in performance, the character of sequencing in the scenario, and the vocabulary of emotional expression as these have evolved over the past century. Such transformations allow enormous freedom of expression to the contemporary "romantic," but also result in simultaneous loss in both the sense of authenticity and security. (Social Psychology)

Published online: 4 August 2015
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jnlh.5.3.04wha
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