Abstract
Although some scholars acknowledge the decisive role of the felt body in the process of perspective taking, the precise role of the felt body remains unclear. In this paper, a theory of affective communication is developed in order to explain and understand the process of perspective taking in human interaction on a corporeal, pre-reflective and thus affective level. The key assumption of the outlined theory is that any process of perspective taking is essentially based on the two dimensions of the felt body, namely (1) attraction and repulsion, (2) dominance and subdominance. The dimension of attraction and repulsion determines whether individuals (or groups) attractively converge or repulsively diverge in their perspectives. Regarding the dimension of dominance and subdominance, it is assumed that there is always a dominant and a subdominant side in human interaction. In the case of attraction as a necessary condition for finding common ground, the dominant side serves as the perspective giver and the subdominant side serves as the perspective taker. The outlined theory is phenomenologically based on the works of Schmitz and Rappe and marks a contribution to the research program of neophenomenological sociology.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmed, S. (2010). Happy objects. In M. Gregg & G. J. Seigworth (Eds.), The affect theory reader (pp. 29–51). London: Duke University Press.
Batson, C. D., Early, S., & Salvarani, G. (1997). Perspective taking: Imagining how another feels versus imaging how you would feel. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(7), 751–758.
Blume, A. (2010). Hermann Schmitz (1928–). In H. R. Sepp & L. Embree (Eds.), Handbook of phenomenological aesthetics (pp. 307–309). Dordrecht: Springer.
Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Brennan, T. (2004). The transmission of affect. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Breuer, F., Muckel, P., & Dieris, B. (2018). Reflexive Grounded Theory: Eine Einführung für die Forschungspraxis (3rd ed.). Wiesbaden: Springer.
Bryman, A. (1992). Charisma and leadership in organizations. London: SAGE Publications.
Collins, R. (1981). On the microfoundations of macrosociology. American Journal of Sociology, 86(5), 984–1014.
Davis, M. H., Conklin, L., Smith, A., & Luce, C. (1996). Effect of perspective taking on the cognitive representation of persons: A merging of self and other. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(4), 713–726.
de Jaegher, H., Pieper, B., Clénin, D., & Fuchs, T. (2017). Grasping intersubjectivity: An invitation to embody social interaction research. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 16(3), 491–523.
Elfenbein, H. A., & Ambady, N. (2002). Is there an in-group advantage in emotion recognition? Psychological Bulletin, 128(2), 243–249.
Epley, N., Keysar, B., van Boven, L., & Gilovich, T. (2004). Perspective taking as egocentric anchoring and adjustment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(3), 327–339.
Foucault, M. (1979). The history of sexuality: Volume 1: An introduction. London: Allen Lane.
Foucault, M. (1985). The history of sexuality: Volume 2: The use of pleasure. London: Penguin.
Frijda, N. H., Mesquita, B., Sonnemans, J., & van Goozen, S. (1991). The duration of affective phenomena or emotions, sentiments and passions. In K. T. Strongman (Ed.), International review of studies on emotion (Vol. 1, pp. 187–225). New York: Wiley.
Fuchs, T. (2013). The phenomenology and development of social perspectives. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 12(4), 655–683.
Fuchs, T. (2017). Levels of empathy: Primary, extended, and reiterated empathy. In V. Lux & S. Weigel (Eds.), Empathy. Epistemic problems and cultural-historical perspectives of a cross-disciplinary concept (pp. 27–47). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Fuchs, T., & de Jaegher, H. (2009). Enactive intersubjectivity: Participatory sense-making and mutual incorporation. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 8(4), 465–486.
Galinsky, A. D., Ku, G., & Wang, C. S. (2005). Perspective-taking and self-other overlap: Fostering social bonds and facilitating social coordination. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 8(2), 109–124.
Gallagher, S. (2008). Direct perception in the intersubjective context. Consciousness and Cognition, 17(2), 535–543.
Georgesen, J. C., & Harris, M. J. (1998). Why‘s my boss always holding me down? A meta-analysis of power effects on performance evaluations. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2(3), 184–195.
Gouldner, A. W. (1960). The norm of reciprocity: A preliminary statement. American Sociological Review, 25(2), 161–178.
Graen, G. B. (1976). Role-making processes within complex organizations. In M. D. Dunette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1201–1245). Chicago: Rand McNally.
Griffero, T. (2014). Atmospheres: Aesthetics of emotional space. Farnham: Ashgate.
Griffero, T. (2017). Felt-bodily communication: A neophenomenological approach to embodied affects. Studi di estetica, 8(2), 71–86.
Großheim, M., Kluck, S., & Nörenberg, H. (2015). Kollektive Lebensgefühle. Zur Phänomenologie von Gemeinschaften. Rostock: Universität Rostock, Institut für Philosophie.
Gugutzer, R. (2017). Felt body and situation. To the theory and research program of the neophenomenological sociology. Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 46(3), 147–166.
Gzyl, S. (2010). Unentbehrliche Begegnungen. Bochum: Projektverlag.
Hackman, J. R. (1990). Groups that work (and those that don‘t). Creating conditions for effective teamwork. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Harding, N., Lee, H., Ford, J., & Learmonth, M. (2011). Leadership and charisma: A desire that cannot speak its name? Human Relations, 64(7), 927–949.
House, R. J. (1977). A 1976 theory of charismatic leadership. In J. G. Hunt & L. L. Larson (Eds.), Leadership: The cutting edge (pp. 189–207). Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
House, R. J., & Singh, J. V. (1987). Organizational behavior: Some new directions for I/O psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 38, 669–718.
Iedema, R., & Carroll, K. (2015). Research as affect-sphere: Towards spherogenics. Emotion Review, 7(1), 67–72.
Julmi, C. (2015). Atmosphären in Organisationen: Wie Gefühle das Zusammenleben in Organisationen beherrschen. Bochum: Projektverlag.
Julmi, C. (2017). Situations and atmospheres in organizations: A (new) phenomenology of being-in-the-organization. Milan: Mimesis International.
Julmi, C., & Rappe, G. (2018). Atmosphärische Führung: Stimmungen wahrnehmen und gezielt beeinflussen. Munich: Hanser Verlag.
Julmi, C., & Scherm, E. (2015). The domain-specificity of creativity: Insights from new phenomenology. Creativity Research Journal, 27(2), 151–159.
Kazig, R. (2016). Presentation of Hermann Schmitz’ paper, “Atmospheric Spaces”. Ambiances. International Journal of Sensory Environment, Architecture and Urban Space. Retrieved from http://ambiances.revues.org/709. Accessed 16 Nov 2018.
Ku, G., Wang, C. S., & Galinsky, A. D. (2015). The promise and perversity of perspective-taking in organizations. Research in Organizational Behavior, 35, 79–102.
Lindemann, G. (2014). Weltzugänge: Die mehrdimensionale Ordnung des Sozialen. Weilerswist: Velbrück Wissenschaft.
Litchfield, R. C., & Gentry, R. J. (2010). Perspective-taking as an organizational capability. Strategic Organization, 8(3), 187–205.
Maibom, H. L. (2013). Limits of perspective taking. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 97, 511–516.
Massumi, B. (2002). Parables for the virtual: Movement, affect, sensation. Durham: Duke University Press.
McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415–444.
McPherson Frantz, C., & Janoff-Bulman, R. (2000). Considering both sides: The limits of perspective taking. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 22(1), 31–42.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of perception. London: Routledge. (Original work published 1945).
Morris, D. (1977). Manwatching: A field guide to human behavior. New York: H. N. Abrams.
Müller-Pelzer, W. (2011). Intercultural competence: A phenomenological approach. In A. Witte & T. Harden (Eds.), Intercultural competence. Concepts, challenges, evaluations (pp. 55–74). Oxford: Peter Lang.
Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
Parker, S. K., Atkins, P. W. B., & Axtell, C. M. (2008). Building better workplaces through individual perspective taking: A fresh look at a fundamental human process. In G. P. Hodgkinson & J. K. Ford (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 23, pp. 149–196). Chichester: Wiley.
Rappe, G. (2005). Interkulturelle Ethik, Bd. II: Ethische Anthropologie, 1. Teil: Der Leib als Fundament von Ethik. Berlin: Europäischer Universitätsverlag.
Rappe, G. (2006). Interkulturelle Ethik, Bd. II: Ethische Anthropologie, 2. Teil: Personale Ethik. Berlin: Europäischer Universitätsverlag.
Rappe, G. (2012). Leib und Subjekt. Phänomenologische Beiträge zu einem erweiterten Menschenbild. Bochum: Projektverlag.
Rappe, G. (2018). Einführung in die moderne Phänomenologie: Phänomen/Leib/Subjektivität. Bochum: Projektverlag.
Russell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(6), 1161–1178.
Schmitz, H. (1965). System der Philosophie, Bd. II: Der Leib, 1. Teil: Der Leib. Bonn: Bouvier Verlag.
Schmitz, H. (1969). System der Philosophie, Bd. III: Der Raum, 2. Teil: Der Gefühlsraum. Bonn: Bouvier Verlag.
Schmitz, H. (1977). System der Philosophie, Bd. III: Der Raum, 4. Teil: Das Göttliche und der Raum. Bonn: Bouvier Verlag.
Schmitz, H. (1978). System der Philosophie, Bd. III: Der Raum, 5. Teil: Die Wahrnehmung. Bonn: Bouvier Verlag.
Schmitz, H. (1980). System der Philosophie, Bd. V: Die Aufhebung der Gegenwart. Bonn: Bouvier Verlag.
Schmitz, H. (1993). Sind Tiere Bewußthaber?: Über die Quelle der Du-Evidenz. Zeitschrift für philosophische Forschung, 46(3), 329–347.
Schmitz, H. (2003). Was ist Neue Phänomenologie?. Rostock: Koch.
Schmitz, H. (2009). Kurze Einführung in die Neue Phänomenologie. Munich: Karl Alber.
Schmitz, H. (2010). Jenseits des Naturalismus. Freiburg: Karl Alber.
Schmitz, H., & Brenner, A. (2009). Die Neue Phänomenologie: Ein Gespräch mit Hermann Schmitz. Information Philosophie, 37(5), 20–29.
Schmitz, H., Müllan, R. O., & Slaby, J. (2011). Emotions outside the box: The new phenomenology of feeling and corporeality. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 10(2), 241–259.
Slaby, J., Mühlhoff, R., & Wüschner, P. (2017). Affective arrangements. Emotion Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073917722214.
Tanaka, S. (2015). Intercorporeality as a theory of social cognition. Theory & Psychology, 25(4), 455–472.
Vachhani, S. J. (2013). (Re)creating objects from the past: Affect, tactility and everyday creativity. Management & Organizational History, 8(1), 91–104.
Waytz, A. (2016). The limits of empathy. Harvard Business Review, 94(1–2), 68–73.
Weber, M. (1980). Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (5th ed.). Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. (Original work published 1921).
Zahavi, D. (2011). Empathy and direct social perception: A phenomenological proposal. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 2(3), 541–558.
Acknowledgements
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Julmi, C. A Theory of Affective Communication: On the Phenomenological Foundations of Perspective Taking. Hum Stud 41, 623–641 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-018-09485-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-018-09485-0