Emotional Dissonance in Literature & Literary Theory

Emotional Dissonance: Etymology and Concept

“Emotional dissonance” is a term primarily rooted in psychological and emotional discourse rather than having a distinct etymological origin. The term can be broken down into its components to understand its meaning:

1. Emotional: Relating to or associated with emotions, which encompass a wide range of feelings and states of mind.
2. Dissonance: In a psychological context, dissonance refers to a lack of harmony or consistency between one’s emotional experiences and expressions. It can also involve conflicts or inconsistencies between different emotional states.

While each term individually has its etymology, the combination “emotional dissonances” itself does not have a unique etymological origin. Instead, it is a term coined within the field of psychology to describe the phenomenon of incongruence or disharmony between one’s internal emotional experiences and the external expression of those emotions, often in a social or professional context.

Concept

• Definition: Emotional dissonances refer to the internal conflict or incongruence between one’s true feelings and the emotions expressed outwardly, often in social or professional settings.
• Surface Acting: It involves the display of emotions that are not genuinely felt, a process known as “surface acting,” where individuals express emotions required by social norms or expectations.
• Deep Acting: Alternatively, emotional dissonances may manifest as “deep acting,” where individuals attempt to align their outward expressions with their genuine internal emotions through a conscious effort to change or manage those emotions.
• Job-Related Stressor: Commonly experienced in the workplace, emotional dissonance can be a significant job-related stressor, particularly in roles that require the display of specific emotions, such as service jobs or customer-facing positions.
• Negative Impacts: Prolonged emotional dissonances can lead to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and psychological distress, impacting overall well-being and job satisfaction.
• Emotional Labor: Coined by sociologist Arlie Hochschild, emotional dissonances are closely tied to the concept of “emotional labor,” where individuals are required to manage their emotions as part of their job responsibilities.
• Coping Strategies: Individuals may employ various coping strategies, such as emotional suppression or cognitive reappraisal, to manage emotional dissonance and align their expressed emotions with situational demands.
• Authenticity vs. Expectations: Emotional dissonance raises questions about the balance between authenticity and meeting societal or organizational expectations, as individuals navigate the tension between their true emotions and the emotions they feel compelled to display.
• Individual and Cultural Variances: The experience of emotional dissonance can vary among individuals and across cultures, influenced by personal characteristics, job roles, and cultural norms regarding emotional expression.
• Research and Psychology: Explored extensively in psychology and organizational behavior, studies on emotional dissonance contribute to our understanding of the complexities of human emotions in social and professional contexts.

Emotional Dissonance: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Emotional dissonance is a theoretical term in psychology that denotes the internal conflict between an individual’s genuine emotional experience and the emotions they express outwardly, particularly in social or professional settings. This concept arises when individuals feel compelled to display emotions that do not align with their true feelings, leading to a state of incongruence between the expressed and experienced emotions. Emotional dissonance is often associated with job-related stressors, impacting mental well-being and contributing to emotional exhaustion in various occupational roles.

Emotional Dissonance: Theorists, Works and Argument

Theorists on Emotional Dissonance:

1. Arlie Hochschild:
   • Hochschild is a pioneering sociologist who introduced the concept of “emotional labor” and explored emotional dissonance in the context of service work in her influential work, The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling.
2. Daniel Goleman:
   • Goleman, a psychologist, has contributed to the understanding of emotional intelligence, which is closely related to emotional dissonance. His work, such as Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, delves into the importance of recognizing and managing emotions in various aspects of life.

Key Works:

1. “The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling” by Arlie Hochschild:
   • In this seminal work, Hochschild explores how individuals in service industries engage in emotional labor and the impact of emotional dissonance on their well-being.
2. “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” by Daniel Goleman:
   • Goleman’s book delves into emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate emotions effectively, shedding light on the skills required to manage emotional dissonance.

Key Arguments:

1. Impact on Well-Being:
   • Theorists argue that prolonged experiences of emotional dissonance can have detrimental effects on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being, leading to burnout, stress, and diminished job satisfaction.
2. Organizational Dynamics:
   • The concept is often used to analyze organizational dynamics, emphasizing how workplace expectations and norms can contribute to emotional dissonance, impacting both individual employees and the overall organizational culture.
3. Coping Strategies:
   • Theorists explore various coping strategies individuals employ to manage emotional dissonance, including surface acting, deep acting, and adaptive emotion regulation techniques. These strategies influence both short-term emotional expression and long-term psychological outcomes.

Understanding emotional dissonances through the perspectives of theorists like Hochschild and Goleman provides insights into the intricate interplay between emotions, societal expectations, and individual well-being in both personal and professional realms.

Emotional Dissonance: Major Characteristics

Characteristic	Description	Examples
Incongruence of Emotions	Internal conflict between felt emotions and expressed emotions, often due to societal or job-related expectations.	Example: Smiling while delivering bad news at work.
Surface Acting	Displaying emotions that are not genuinely felt, often in response to external demands or social norms.	Example: Pretending to be cheerful during a challenging customer interaction.
Deep Acting	Conscious effort to align expressed emotions with genuine internal emotions through authentic emotional experience.	Example: Trying to genuinely feel happy in a challenging situation.
Job-Related Stressor	Emotional dissonances ar frequently encountered in professions that require specific emotional displays.	Example: Customer service representatives managing irate customers.
Negative Impact on Well-Being	Prolonged emotional dissonances can lead to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and diminished overall mental health.	Example: Feeling emotionally drained after consistently suppressing true feelings.
Coping Strategies	Individuals employ various strategies to manage emotional dissonance, such as deep acting or surface acting.	Example: Using positive self-talk to cope with required emotional displays.
Authenticity vs. Expectations	Balancing the desire for authentic emotional expression with societal or organizational expectations.	Example: Struggling to conform to workplace norms while desiring authenticity.
Cultural and Individual Variances	Experiences of emotional dissonance can vary among individuals and across cultures.	Example: Different cultural norms influencing emotional expression at work.
Emotional Exhaustion	Prolonged emotional dissonances contributing to a state of fatigue, decreased job satisfaction, and mental strain.	Example: Feeling emotionally drained after consistently suppressing true feelings.
Research and Psychology	Explored extensively in psychological research and organizational behavior studies.	Example: Research examining the impact of emotional dissonances on job performance.

Emotional Dissonance: Relevance in Literary Theories

1. Psychoanalytic Theory:
   • Relevance: Emotional dissonances can be explored through psychoanalytic lenses to analyze characters’ internal conflicts, subconscious desires, and the impact of societal expectations on emotional expression. Works like Sigmund Freud’s “The Interpretation of Dreams” provide a framework for understanding the psychological aspects of emotional dissonance in literature.
2. Reader-Response Theory:
   • Relevance: Emotional dissonances engage readers by prompting them to empathize with characters facing internal conflicts. Reader-response theorists, such as Wolfgang Iser and Stanley Fish, would analyze how readers emotionally respond to characters experiencing dissonance and the implications for interpretation.
3. Feminist Literary Theory:
   • Relevance: In feminist literary theory, emotional dissonance can be examined regarding the societal expectations imposed on female characters. Works like Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” can be employed to analyze how gender roles contribute to emotional dissonance in literature.
4. Postcolonial Literary Theory:
   • Relevance: Emotional dissonance can be explored in postcolonial literature to examine the emotional struggles faced by characters navigating cultural identity conflicts and the impact of colonial history on their emotional experiences. Edward Said’s “Orientalism” could be used to analyze power dynamics in emotional dissonance within postcolonial contexts.
5. Existentialist Literary Theory:
   • Relevance: Existentialist theories, including the works of Jean-Paul Sartre, can be applied to analyze characters facing existential dilemmas and emotional dissonance in their quest for authenticity and meaning in a seemingly indifferent world.
6. Narrative Theory:
   • Relevance: Emotional dissonances contribute to the complexity of narrative structures. Narrative theorists like Roland Barthes and Gerard Genette may explore how emotional dissonance enhances character development and narrative tension in literary works.
7. Cultural Studies:
   • Relevance: Cultural studies theorists, such as Stuart Hall, can analyze emotional dissonances in literature by considering how cultural norms influence characters’ emotional expressions and internal conflicts.

The relevance of emotional dissonances in literary theories lies in its capacity to deepen the analysis of characters, societal expectations, and emotional struggles within the narrative, offering a rich terrain for exploration across various theoretical frameworks.

Emotional Dissonance: Application in Critiques

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger:
   • Analysis: In Salinger’s novel, the protagonist Holden Caulfield exhibits emotional dissonances as he navigates adolescence. His expressed cynicism and rebellious attitude serve as a facade to conceal deeper emotions of loss and isolation. Critically examining Holden’s emotional dissonance enhances the understanding of his character, contributing to a nuanced interpretation of the novel’s themes.
2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert:
   • Analysis: Emma Bovary experiences emotional dissonances in her pursuit of societal ideals and romantic fantasies. The dissonance between her outward appearances as a content wife and mother and her internal dissatisfaction and longing for passion drives the narrative. Critiquing the emotional dissonance in “Madame Bovary” unveils the complexities of societal expectations and personal desires, enriching the evaluation of Flaubert’s portrayal of 19th-century French society.
3. 1984 by George Orwell:
   • Analysis: Emotional dissonances are evident in Orwell’s dystopian world, particularly in the character Winston Smith. The discrepancy between Winston’s outward conformity to the Party’s emotions and his inner rebellious sentiments underscores the oppressive nature of the regime. Critically examining emotional dissonance in “1984” reveals the psychological toll of living in a totalitarian state and contributes to a deeper understanding of Orwell’s political commentary.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
   • Analysis: Jay Gatsby exemplifies emotional dissonances as he portrays an extravagant, carefree persona while concealing deep-seated desires and insecurities. The dissonance between Gatsby’s outward displays of wealth and success and his internal struggles adds layers to the critique of the American Dream. Evaluating emotional dissonance in “The Great Gatsby” enhances the exploration of societal expectations and the illusion of the American Dream in the Roaring Twenties.

In these critiques, the analysis of emotional dissonances allow for a nuanced examination of character development, societal critique, and thematic exploration in the selected novels, providing a richer understanding of the literary works.

Emotional Dissonance: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Surface Acting	Displaying emotions not genuinely felt, often to conform to external expectations.
Deep Acting	Consciously aligning expressed emotions with genuine internal feelings through authentic emotional experience.
Emotional Exhaustion	Prolonged states of feeling emotionally drained and fatigued due to managing conflicting emotions.
Job-Related Stressor	Factors in the workplace contributing to emotional dissonance, such as the requirement to display specific emotions.
Coping Strategies	Various techniques individuals use to manage emotional dissonance, including surface acting or deep acting.
Authenticity vs. Expectations	Tension between expressing authentic emotions and meeting societal or organizational expectations.
Incongruence of Emotions	Internal conflict resulting from a mismatch between felt emotions and expressed emotions.
Negative Impact on Well-Being	Adverse effects on mental and emotional health resulting from prolonged emotional dissonance.
Cultural and Individual Variances	Differences in the experience of emotional dissonance influenced by cultural norms and individual characteristics.
Emotional Labor	The effort and skill required to manage and display emotions in line with job requirements.

Emotional Dissonance: Suggested Readings

Books:

1. Hochschild, Arlie. The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. University of California Press, 1983.
2. Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books, 1995.
3. Grandey, Alicia A. Emotion Regulation at Work: A Research Companion. Routledge, 2019.
4. Ashkanasy, Neal M., Wilfred J. Zerbe, and Charmine E. J. Härtel. Emotions in the Workplace: Research, Theory, and Practice. Quorum Books, 2000.
5. Grandey AA. Emotion regulation in the workplace: a new way to conceptualize emotional labor. J Occup Health Psychol. 2000 Jan;5(1):95-110. doi: 10.1037//1076-8998.5.1.95. PMID: 10658889.