Emotions and the Social Bond in Situations of Poverty

Although the relationship between emotions and poverty has been recognized by social scientists, it received little attention as a lens through which to observe, interpret, and deal with this issue. To fill this gap, we conducted a qualitative, exploratory, and preliminary analysis of the content of forty interviews with parents living in economic poverty as part of the Research Project of National Interest (PRIN) "Constructions of Parenthood on Uncertain Ground. What Role for Social Work" sought to investigate whether and how the emotional dimension intervenes in poverty, as well as the role it may play in the processes of entering or departing this reality. It was revealed that impoverished individuals experience a wide spectrum of emotions, which contribute to a more complete and multifaceted picture of people in poverty, with more positive features than negative ones. Moreover, the study revealed that poor people experienced a wide range of happy emotions that are not typically associated with poverty. This article focuses on three of these positive feelings - gratitude, solidarity, and pride - and discusses how they grow in the interaction between individuals who live in poverty and those who do not, as well as how they contribute to the strengthening of social cohesion and bonds. This thought appears to be valuable in terms of the positive implications it may have for knowledge and the development of policies targeted at combating poverty. In fact, the analysis confirms that the sociology of emotions is a viable approach to understanding the conditions of individuals living in poverty and opening up new avenues for future research. Furthermore, it helps to overcome preconceptions and stereotypes that still surround poor people, as well as the ideological assumptions about poverty that underpin many contemporary European poverty policies, putting social cohesiveness at danger.