In my work as a cultural theorist, I have helped to uncover why South Asian artistic forms of emotional and cultural expression prove unpalatable to the (comparatively more reserved) white British market.
My research has taught me that emotional expression is quite specific to a given society or culture – and that it is ethnically nuanced. Good levels of emotional literacy are therefore invaluable when we are trying to understand ethnic minority experiences.
One of the consistent strengths of the many institutional equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) network leads I have worked with has been their ability to use their emotions to empathise with others in order to advocate for them.
They use their ability to “turn on the emotion tap” in order to engage enough empathy to see the world through the eyes of others.
