Choices in the history of emotions

Abstract

Objective/Context: The text focuses on pointing out some of the top challenges facing the history of emotions currently in light of the contributions the field of study has produced from its creation. Methodology: To the extent that the field of history of emotions continues to expand, it is vital to bear in mind that the contributions will be different if the people who work from this standpoint focus, for example, on the individual or the social framework; on events or processes; on specific emotions or their articulation with historical processes; on specific audiences or a broader public; on unique geographical contexts or comparative reflections on different ambits. Originality: The piece presents a balance on the main methodological, thematic, and theoretical challenges faced by academics who work from the perspective of the history of emotions, at a time when the field has reached a high level of sophistication, and suggests synthetically a series of work pathways that point to strengthening the contributions made from this field of study. Conclusions: This reflection concludes that the history of emotions can progress in different directions and that the varied analytical alternatives at the disposal of historians devoted to this field have the potential to affect different types of audiences, within and without the specific sphere of emotions, and to solidify the contribution made from the field to knowledge in general. One of the main questions this paper highlights is the pressing need for further studying emotions in geographic areas outside the United States, Europe, and Australia, among which Latin America stands out as an important one.