The conceptualization of emotions in standard Polish and in „guides to emotions and values” for children

(with an example of the category of WSTYD / SHAME-like emotions) – a comparative analysis

Agnieszka Mikołajczuk

Department of Polish Studies

University of Warsaw

E-mail: amikolajczuk@tlen.pl

The outline of the presentationI. Introduction: Data and methods

II. WSTYD/SHAME in standard Polish and in „guides to emotions and values” for children - a comparative analysis

1. The phrasing of WSTYD/SHAME in the Polish system of terms for emotions(in standard Polish and texts for children)

2. The lexeme wstyd in the corpus of children’s books (ChB) and in the generalcorpus of Polish (NP) – structures and their functions

3. The SUBJECT of the emotion of WSTYD in ChB and NP

4. Relations between a SUBJECT and a CAUSATOR of WSTYD in ChB and NP

5. Conceptual models of WSTYD based on various causes of the emotion (in ChB and NP) – using the example of MORAL SHAME

6. Conceptual metaphors and evaluation of WSTYD in ChB and NP

III. Summary

I. Data and methodsI. Data

1. General Polish: Polish dictionaries (ISJP, SJPD, USJP, WSJP) and the National Corpus of Polish (NP)

2. „Guides to emotions and values” for children: 20 books for children aged4-11 (ChB)

(Brenifier 2013; Brykczyński 2010; Brykczyński, Głażewska Dańko 2004; Cayn 2008; Częścik 2013a, b, c, d;Kasdepke 2012a, b; Kołyszko 2004a, b, 2005, 2008; Kołyszko, Tomaszewska 2015a, b; Mikołajczak-Bąk, ed.,2014; Strzałkowska 2012; Ślepowrońska 2009; Tomaszewska, Kołyszko 2009)

II. Methods1. Quantitative analysis: frequency in NP and ChB2. Qualitative analysis:

a) facetes/aspects and conceptual models

b) metaphorical patterns of conceptualization

Many levels of SHAME: shyness, embarrassment, embarrassment/disconcertedness, fear of speaking in public, obesity, poverty, guilt, decency, destruction

„Wysokie Obcasy Extra” [Polish monthly magazine] September 2014, p. 26-27.

4

1. `wstyd'; 308; 62%

2. `onieśmielenie'; 4; 1%

3. `nieśmiałość'; 48; 10%

4. `speszenie'; 2; 0%

5. `zmieszanie'; 11; 2%

6. `zakłopotanie'; 15; 3%

7. `zażenowanie'; 9; 2%

8. `skrępowanie'; 2; 0%

9. `konsternacja'; 5; 1%

10. `konfuzja'; 2; 0%

11. `obciach'; 1; 0%

12. `głupio'; 10; 2%13. `nieswojo'; 7; 1%

14. `niepewność'; 9; 2%

15. `skromność'; 2; 0%

16. `umniejszanie się'; 1; 0%

17. `pokora'; 2; 0%

18. `upokorzenie'; 3; 1%

19. `uczucie splugawienia'; 1; 0%

20. `uczucie poniżenia'; 4; 1%

21. `czucie się gorszym'; 11; 2%

22. `honor'; 15; 3%23. `hańba'; 4; 1%

24. `niesława'; 3; 1%

25. `kompromitacja'; 3; 1% 26. `plama'; 2; 0%

27. [`trema']; 2; 0%

28. [`spłoszenie']; 7; 1%

POLISH LEXICAL FAMILIES OF WSTYD/SHAME IN CHB

II. 2. The lexeme wstyd (shame/embarrassment) in ChB and NP – structures and their functions

Function Type of a structure Children’s books corpus(178 wstyd)

General corpus of Polish

(sample: 200* wstyd)

I. D

esc

rip

tive

1. Komuś jest/było wstyd[sb-Dat. + is/was + shame]

= sb was ashamed/embarrassed

4,5% Total: 9

7,7

%

12%

Total: 7

4 %

2. Wstyd as a noun 92,1% 60%

3. Others 1,1% 2%

II. E

xpre

ssiv

ean

d/o

rev

alu

ativ

e

4. e.g.: Nie wstyd wam?! = Aren’t youashamed?

Jaki wstyd! = What a disgrace!

1,1% Total:2

,2 %

16,5% Total: 2

6 %

5. Wstyd + infinitivus(e.g. Wstyd powiedzieć, ale… = It’s embarrassing to say this, but… )

1,1% 9,5%

*A sample of 200 examples (from 7587 extracts with the word wstyd in a balanced part of the National Corpus of Polish).

II. 3. The SUBJECT of the emotion of WSTYD in ChB and NP[using the example of lexemes: wstyd (shame/embarrasment) and wstydzić się (to be ashamed/embarrassed/shy)]

The category of a SUBJECT In ChB(178 wstyd + 99 wstydzić się)

In NP(samples: 200 wstyd+ 100** wstydzić się)

1. Children or teenagers(female and male)

33,5% (including: girls - 7,6%; boys -7,9%)

7,3% (including: girls - 2,7%, boys -4,3%)

2. Adults (female and male) 3,6% (including: women 2,5% and men 2,5%)

74% (including: women 28,7%, men 40,3%)

3. Everybody 29,6% 12,3%

4. Animals 0 [0,7%]

5. „Imagined” entities 2,5% 0,7%

**A sam

ple

of 1

00

examp

les(fro

m 5

58

8 extracts

with

the w

ord

wstyd

zić się in a b

alanced

part o

f the N

ation

alCo

rpu

s of Po

lish).

II. 4. The relation between a SUBJECT and a CAUSATOR of WSTYD:four models of conceptualization

I. A SUBJECT = a CAUSATOR: An individual’s subjective shame

II. A SUBJECT + A CAUSATOR = A COMMUNITY: Collective shame

III. A SUBJECT as an independent observer of a CAUSATOR: A witness’s

shame

IV. A (potential or real) SUBJECT as an object of reprimand and/or of

humiliation (by a CAUSATOR): a) External shame; b) Shame of

humiliation See examples: Handouts, p. 6.

20; 46%

0; 0%

1; 2%

9; 20%

14; 32%

"Wstyd": The relation between a SUBJECT and a CAUSATOR in ChB

1. An individual'ssubjective SHAME

2. Collective SHAME

3. A witness's SHAME

4 a) External SHAME

4 b) SHAME of humiliation

90; 54%

18; 11%2; 1%

26; 15%

32; 19%

"Wstyd": The relation between a SUBJECT and a CAUSATOR in NP

1. An individual'ssubjective SHAME

2. CollectiveSHAME

3. A witness'sSHAME

4 a) ExternalSHAME

4 b) SHAME ofhumiliation

II. 5. Conceptual models of WSTYD based on varoius causesof the emotion (in ChB and NP)

Moral shame:

Wstydzi się, że skłamał ‘He is ashamed that he lied’

“Innocent” shame:

Wstydzi się swojego pochodzenia ‘(S)he is ashamed/embarrassed of her/his origins’

Prospective shame:

Wstydzi się zapytać ‘(S)he is too embarrassed to ask’

Wstydzi się obcych ‘(S)he is shy in front of strangers’

Shame of conventions:

Wstydzi się, że nie wysłał jej kartki urodzinowej `He is embarrassed because he didn’t send her a birthday card’

Shame of intimacy (and privacy):

Wstydzi się rozebrać `(S)he is shy when it comes to getting undressed / (S)he findsgetting undressed embarrassing’

(cf Mikołajczuk 2012)

Moral SHAME in ChB and NP(178 wstyd & 99 wstydzić się in ChB; sample of 200 wstyd & 100 wstydzić się in NP)

1. In the books for children = 17 (6%):

a) in parts for children = 13

b) in parts for adults = 4

2. In a sample from the general corpus = 82 (27%)

a) in fiction = 56

b) in non-fiction = 26

II.6. Metaphorical conceptualization of WSTYD/SHAME and evaluationSource domains in ChB Source domains in NP

ADVISORHELPER

FRIEND

STH ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

STH DIFFICULT

INTRICATE MECHANISM

[STH HEALTHY]

[POISON]

[TASTELESS FOOD]

[FIRE]

Evaluation:

positive ≈ negative

In the ratio of 1 to 1,2

AGGRESSOR

WILD ANIMAL

[STH TO BE LEARNED FROM]

[MECHANISM]

TASTELESS FOOD and DRINK

FIRE

Evaluation:

positive < negative

In the ratio of 1 to 5,7

Similarities and differences in the conceptualization of WSTYD/SHAME visible in the general corpus and in the children’s books

1. What seems to be shared in both corpora? - shame as a human emotion

- typically: an individual’s subjective feeling

- often: driven by external reprimands and acts of humiliation

- not only negative, but also positive evaluation

2. What seems to be specific for the children’s books?- minimal participation of collective shame and moral shame

- balance in the number of male and female subjects of shame

- important role of learning and understanding of emotions and regulatingthem

- balance in negative and positive evaluation

Factors influencing the conceptualization of emotions described in texts

Target audience

Genres

Languages, styles

Time

Authorsand

experts

Functionsof texts

Metaphors and corpora studies … can only offer indirectinformation about the meaning of specific words, basedon the systematic associations of those words to othersin language [Soriano 2013: 79]. LINGUISTICS

+PSYCHOLOGY

+SOCIOLOGY

+…

a multidisciplinary approach[Soriano 2013: 63].

complementary, not competing, approaches

to a fascinating and complextopic [Shiota, Keltner 2005: 35].

Comments

Illustrations:

Puppet clown, Ms Miłka – Kasdepke 2012a: 17, 14 (Wstyd `shame / embarrassment/ shyness’).

Helping Shame – Kołyszko, Tomaszewska 2015a (Wstyd `shame / embarrassment / shyness’).

Egg, Fire – Brenifier 2013 (Nieśmiałość: Czy boisz się wypowiadać przed całą klasą?`Shyness: Are you afraid of talking in front of the whole class?’).

Data – the corpus of „guides to emotions and values” for children (ChB)

1. Brenifier O., 2013, Uczucia. Co to takiego?, il. S. Bloch, transl. M. Kamińska-Maurugeon, Poznań: Zakamarki [oryg.: Les sentiments, c’est quoi?, Paris 2004].

2. Brykczyński M., Głażewska Dańko L., 2004, Jedna chwilka, uczuć kilka, czyli z uczuciem o uczuciach, Warszawa: Jacek Santorski.

3. Brykczyński M., 2010, Co się kryje w sercu na dnie? Kto przeczyta, ten odgadnie. 25 uczuciowych zagadek, il. E. Poklewska-Koziełło, Łódź: Literatura.

4. Cayn B., 2008, Chyba jestem nieśmiały, il. M. Pollak, Gdańsk: GWP [oryg.: I Don’t Know Why… I Guess I’m Shy, APA 2002].

5. Częścik J., 2013a, Poznajemy emocje I: Radość i smutek, Gdańsk: Harmonia.

6. Częścik J., 2013b, Poznajemy emocje II: Życzliwość i gniew, Gdańsk: Harmonia.

7. Częścik J., 2013c, Poznajemy emocje III: Duma i wstyd, Gdańsk: Harmonia.

8. Częścik J., 2013d, Poznajemy emocje IV: Strach i wstręt, Gdańsk: Harmonia.

9. Kasdepke G., 2012a, Drużyna pani Miłki, czyli o szacunku, odwadze i innych wartościach, il. M. Piwowarski, Warszawa: Nasza Księgarnia.

10. Kasdepke G., 2012b, Wielka księga uczuć, il. M. Piwowarski, Warszawa: Nasza Księgarnia.

11. Kołyszko W., 2004a, Pogromca potworów i magia strachu, il. W. Kołyszko, Gdańsk: GWP.

12. Kołyszko W., 2004b, Zaklęte miasto i sekrety smutku, il. W. Kołyszko, Gdańsk: GWP.

13. Kołyszko W., 2005, Smok Lubomił i tajemnice złości, il. W. Kołyszko, Gdańsk: GWP.

14. Kołyszko W., 2008, Wyspa HopSiup i potęga radości, il. W. Kołyszko, Gdańsk: GWP.

15. Kołyszko W., Tomaszewska J., 2015a, Wstyd i latający śpiwór, 2nd edition, Sopot: GWP.

16. Kołyszko W., Tomaszewska J., 2015b, Zazdrość i wyścigi żółwi, 3rd edition, Sopot: GWP.

17. Mikołajczak-Bąk A., ed., 2014, 12 ważnych opowieści. Polscy autorzy o wartościach dla dzieci, il. E. Kidacka, Poznań: Publicat S.A.

18. Strzałkowska M., 2012, O wartościach, czyli Rady nie od parady III, il. M. Bruchnalski, Warszawa: Czarna Owca.

19. Ślepowrońska D., 2009, Smocze opowieści, il. A. Krella-Moch, Gdańsk: GWP.

20. Tomaszewska J., Kołyszko W., 2009, Garść radości, szczypta złości. Mnóstwo zabawnych ćwiczeń z uczuciami, Gdańsk: GWP.