Moral emotions as a mechanism for social consolidation: problems and prospects of research

On 18 February Maria A. Kozlova in the framework of the scientific seminar "Culture matters", was made by Andreevna (Cand. Hist. Sciences, senior research fellow of International laboratory for Socio-Cultural Research, associate professor, Department of General sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences,HSE) took part in the «Culture matters» research seminar with the report on "Moral emotions as a mechanism for social consolidation: problems and prospects of research".

The report dealt with various theoretical sociological approaches to the study of the role of moral emotions in social consolidation. In particular, they cover the following topics:

• Consolidation and exclusion in the context of sociological analysis;
• Emotions in the context of interdisciplinary studies of morality. Moral emotions and social associations;
• Approaches to the typology of moral emotions;
• Negative moral emotions and their importance for the study of social consolidation: shame, guilt, jealousy, envy, ressentiment;
• Indicators of the emotions of shame and envy.

Data analysis was supported by empirical evidence obtained from interviews with two groups: villagers and representatives of the community of Russians-volunteers of Novorossiya.

The focus of the theoretical analysis of the research was the social function of emotions – group consolidation through the actualization of identity. Based on these two case studies examines the role of negative moral emotions – shame and indignation in the formation of new identities and group consolidation.