Abu-Lughod’s “Shifting Politics in Bedouin Love Poetry”

   A Summary

   From most of what I gathered from Abu-Lughod’s text was that how emotions
   are perceived in a culture ultimately relate to and are guided by the
   power structure implemented throughout the community. It would seem that
   the influences of those in charge can influence how emotions are talked
   about and regarded, and that those who are subjected to the interests of
   the former will at times comply regardless of if it is against their own
   ideals. As the power structure of a community evolves and changes, its
   demands of emotions do as well. So the author not only marks culture as an
   influencer of emotion but also the complex political and familial
   structures of a society.

   So how is Abu-Lughod’s perspective on emotions different or similar to
   that of Evans, Dixon, Seligman, Solomon and Rosaldo? Examine and compare
   it with each of the studied authors and see how they understand emotions,
   what they suggest we should study when we study emotions, what methods
   they use to study them, what approach and classification they propose,
   where they locate emotions etc.

   Evans primarily talks about emotions in terms of biology and innateness
   which in turn relates to this text through the use of love language. How
   although the society in Abu-Lughod’s article dismisses the idea of love,
   and inhibits the practice of following love, the topic still remains
   present in its art forms and conversations.

   Dixon talked about how emotions have evolved in their essence and how they
   have been talked about in alignment with how society has evolved the
   different types of language used to discuss such things, this could
   pertain to Abu-Lughod’s article in that as the political and economic
   structure of the society shifted as did the writings and the language
   revolving around love did.

   In terms of Seligman’s article on positive psychology and happiness I see
   little to no connections with this article, except for maybe that
   resistance to the patriarchal structure may represent an urge to create a
   more well-rounded structure of society and aptitude for happiness in all
   individuals.

   Solomon’s article brings up a point about society’s projection of
   happiness onto us and thus we try to align ourselves with this projection
   to create a false-sense of happiness however contradicting it may be to
   our own ideals or situations, therefore this aligns with aforementioned
   article in that women are expected to identify with ideals projected upon
   them by the elder males in order perpetuate the patrilineal structure and
   maintain the interests of the former even at detrimental costs to the
   women.

   Rosaldo’s article discusses a unique culture and its structure as it
   relates to shame and the role of men. In Rosaldo’s article they perform a
   killing ritual as an initiation for young men, and what might also seem as
   a way of blowing off steam. And although this ritual is commonly practiced
   throughout the community there are still those who show in a way a form of
   objection by their paralysis during the ritual. This relates to
   Abu-Lughod’s article by comparing the attitudes of young men and those in
   charge, and how they may differ in regards to culturally normal practices.
   In Abu-Lughod’s society young men may challenge and object to the power
   structure of the family by immersing themselves in love culture as opposed
   to the modesty code imposed upon them.