Examining the Cultuling of Iranians' Concerns for Others: From Apathy to Metapathy

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Professor of English Language Education, Department of English, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Persian Language Education, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Since birth and throughout all stages of development, humans have been social beings, as effective communication and interaction with others has been crucial for them. The capability to understand ideas, emotions, and views, and to be aware of and sensitive to them in social interactions, helps develop friendly relationships, promotes self-awareness and self-acceptance, and improves group cohesion. Living in an interconnected world means that we will inevitably face difficulties, and consequently, will regularly need the assistance of others. Iranians have long had a reputation for being kind and helpful to their fellow citizens. It is essential to remember that providing verbal support and assistance to others can also protect them from potential dangers (Andreoni et al., 2016).
When seeing other people’s problems and issues, individuals use various verbal and functional approaches in accordance with their own perception and understanding of the situation, as well as the mental and emotional state of others. This indicates their level of care and concern for others. Concern for someone is defined as the emotional and cognitive ability to understand emotions and react to the mental and emotional states of others. Interpersonal interactions and socioemotional aspects help differentiate between “apathy” (having no feelings), “sympathy” (observing feelings), “empathy” (understanding feelings), and “metapathy” (changing feelings).
The current research aims to assess people’s level of concern for others by analyzing the language expressions they use in various situations. In other words, the concept of 'cultuling' (language + culture) of concern for others introduces a new perspective on concern, which is influenced by both the extent of people’s engagement with the problem and the closeness between individuals.

Keywords

References

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