Exploring the Cultural Differences in Perception and Expressions of Emotions: A Comparative study of Saraki and Pashto Culture

Abstract

This qualitative study examined questions regarding the nature and differences between the manifestation and demonstration of feelings in the Saraiki and Pashto-speaking cultures in Pakistan. An exploratory research design was used; eight interviews were conducted, with half of the participants being female and male, and half belonging to both Saraiki and Pashto speakers (four representatives from each group in the interviews). The results indicated that each culture had a distinct pattern for the expression of emotion, informed by linguistic, social, and traditional values. Respondents from the Pashto group focused on honor and courage as well as hospitality, and as a group they showed their emotions in simpler and more direct ways. Conversely, Saraiki speakers had deeper hearts and higher aesthetic emotions, which led to a less explicit manifestation. The themes found through the analyses were the role of cultural norms in emotive behavior, gender variations in emotive behavior, age variations, and the place of the native language in emotive behavior. This case shed light on the importance of using cultural triggers for interpreting moods and highlighted issues relevant to systems of multicultural health care, education, and social adjustment in communities with widely varying cultural backgrounds.

Keywords: Expressing emotions and perceiving emotions, cultural variation, mental health, linguistic effects in expressing emotions.