Defining Anger: Deconstructing the Experience and Expression of Anger by Race, Class, and Gender

Abstract

The research on anger in the sociology of emotions literature, however, categorizes anger as a negative emotion, a form of distress with negative consequences. In contrast, I see anger as a potential source of empowerment and expect it to be tied to attributes of stratification, to gender, race, and class. Unlike much of the prior research, the analysis in this paper looks at both the experience and expression of anger by race, class, and gender. Results indicate that race, class, and gender do not operate similarly for feeling and expressing anger. Men feel anger around social class while women feel anger around family status. While blacks do not feel more anger, black men are more likely to express their anger, however not more likely to express their anger directly. Having the subjective identification of lower class is the best predictor of expressing anger towards the person who made you angry. Across analyses and social statuses a common difference is lower status people are more likely to feel, express, and directly express anger, however this finding is not true for sex status.