....The example of romantic love.
Date:
Friday 8 March 2013
Time:
2.00pm- 3.00pm
Venue:
Napier 209 University of Adelaide
Keynote Speaker:
Professor William M. Reddy,
Duke University, North Carolina
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In general, emotions are not subject to voluntary control; we do
not get to pick which ones we will feel. Some emotions, like fear
or anger, may trigger physiological changes. Others, like pride or
nostalgia, do not. Are emotions hard-wired? Or are they subject to
cultural or historical variation? Or perhaps, some are hard-wired,
others shaped by culture?
For decades experts have been divided on the subject. The
question of romantic love is a good entry point for appreciating
the complexities social scientists face in trying to make sense of
emotions. It seems that romantic love, of one kind or another, can
be found in almost every part of the world. Is it universal, a
product of neurotransmitters interacting with subcortical
structures?
The record suggests, on the contrary, not only that romantic
love has gone through some striking transformations over the
centuries, but also that collective action can make a difference in
how we feel.
Professor William M. Reddy joins us from Duke University in
North Carolina. His most recent book,
The Making of Romantic Love: Longing and Sexuality in Europe,
South Asia and Japan, 900-1200CE was published in
2012.
