Sociology, emotions and society in Latin America: A short systematisation

Abstract

The role of emotions in the processes of social structuring on a planetary scale is now undeniable, and is also the focus of numerous academic and political discussions. Latin America is no exception to the current geopolitics of emotions, and the momentum for the systematic study of emotions has been consolidated and increased in the last two decades. This article aims to outline the current state of research for the sociology of emotions in the region. Despite the diversity and the preponderance of multidisciplinary approaches along with the difficulty in identifying and organising specific information, it aims to provide the reader with a first guide to what has been contributed from Latin America to this field of the discipline. First, the situation is outlined by country, indicating groups and/or well-known researchers as well as the topics being investigated and the corresponding publications. Second, an overview of investigations across the region is provided by using information from the Working Group of the Latin American Association of Sociology WG 26 ALAS on bodies and emotions. Third, a possible research agenda for the coming years is proposed. The article ends by emphasising the critical nature of the sociology of emotions in Latin America and by proposing creativity/expressiveness as a methodology, and love, beauty and hope as themes to be developed.