The Research Of Emotion On Highland Li Ethnic Group In Maogan Hainan

This thesis tries to use the theories of emotional anthropology as a instrument to depict the culture of Li ethnic group which live in the Maogan highland of Hainan Province. There are two goals. The first is to demonstrate emotion as an interactive process and a social process. The second is to describe my understandings of the everyday life of Maogan'Li, who express emotions in ways that reflect their values,their struggles,and their unique high mountain environment,and thereby realize social functions.Morgan's naturalism and Boas's relativism, The two paradigms of traditional anthropology, resulted in two types of fieldworks on emotional anthropology, the constructionist and the empathizer. The former pursuing good translations, while the latter good vibrations. This thesis attempts to organize the emotional analysis through practical logic.The thesis considers emotion as social and cultural categories instead of natural physiological and psychological categories. Thus, the thesis is required to put emotion under total social facts and observe Li's life and social experiences. This thesis explores"Lao"and"Das"emotions of Maogan Li ethic community as the basis for emotional analysis.In field work, I had observed their everyday life or rituals in the village, and found that"Lao", a Li word, could generalize their main social emotions."Lao"is literally translated as"eat"or"take food".It is used very often in Li villages. It could be extended into the meaning of sharing and cooperation through enjoying food together, sharing happiness and sadness."Lao"can be used to convey and express multiple emotions. Villagers express their happiness through collectively rendered emotions,express their love through happiness sharing events such as weddings. They also express their sadness through pain sharing rituals such as funerals. The community form a variety of social relations through"Lao"emotion sharing. Thus, "Lao" has become the outstanding characteristic of Li culture."Das" means fear. In Nanhao Village,"Das"has the function of social control. It is the act of how the villagers feel about fear and how to get them out of the fear. The fear comes from threats to their community, villagers often classify"Das"feelings and resolve them accordingly. The resolutions have set up social norms. Through"Das", Villagers further sustain their ideal community.In a word, Li's"Lao"emotion is a social integration, while"Das"is a social control. Emotional formation and transformation always happen in specific situations, while realize their social functions.