Shepherding the emotion: Embodied socialization of emotion in pediatric dental interactions

Abstract

In this study, we use video analysis of embodied interactions to examine the emergence of what we term emotion socialization choreographies—structured, embodied interactions that shape a patient's emotional displays and experiences. Our data comprise video recordings of authentic interactions from Chinese and Finnish pediatric appointments, involving patients aged six to 12 years, their caregiver(s), and healthcare professionals. We focus on the dynamics of embodied interaction and embedded emotion socialization, particularly in instances where patients exhibit a negative emotional response—such as crying—during dental procedures. Our findings reveal that through emotion socialization choreographies, the patient's body is guided by various tactile and verbal actions that influence how patients are expected to feel and express emotions to align with institutional behavior norms and allow dental procedures to proceed. We suggest that these moments are critical, as children are implicitly taught whether their emotional experiences and expressions are valued, through acts that either permit and validate or control and suppress them. Such orientations toward bodies and affective experiences at a micro-interactional level also impact how and what kinds of bodies and affective expressions are perceived as normatively appropriate in broader contexts.