Jealousy as an Adverse Emotion

Jealousy as an adverse emotion is a term which commonly refers to inner psychological and outer sociological conflict pertaining to an object that one covets or desires. Jealously usually refers to a dynamic that occurs in relationships between people but it can also be understood in a broader sense as the jealousy or envy of the status or possessions of others. This can refer to money, property or attributes such as fame.

Jealousy is also a very appropriate conceptual tool that can be used in the understanding of society and conflict. Jealousy and relationships Jealousy has been a dominant theme in literature as well as in philosophical studies of social behavior. The definition of jealousy as it relates to social relationships is as follows: "Jealousy results from the perception of a threat to one's romantic relationship.. which most commonly stems from the perception of a romantic involvement between one's partner and a real or imaginary rival." (Comstock, J.

1997) Jealously also involves a sense of perceived loss of control over the emotions and affections of another person. In a study conducted by Comstock, entitled Effect of relationship length on the experience, expression, and perceived appropriateness of jealousy (1997) it was found that jealousy was often an emotion that was repressed or hidden due to the fact that it is seen as being socially unacceptable or inappropriate. "..

Many people are ashamed of feeling jealous and try to repress, conceal, deny, or disguise it." (ibid) This repression of feelings therefore can create internal conflict within the individual who experiences jealously. This is in addition to outer social conflict which may be experienced due to the feelings of loss of control or betrayal. Another factor that illustrates the function of jealousy within relationships is that it is seen as a threat to the relationship and is usually more common in the early stages.

However, it was also found that jealousy is unlikely to be expressed in the early stages of a relationship due to the fact that it is often seen as being inappropriate to express this emotion. ".. even if jealousy is experienced early in a relationship, it is unlikely to be expressed because it is considered an "aversive emotional reaction"..

such a response to a rival might be considered premature and inappropriate." (ibid) as can be deduced from this fact, jealousy will tend to be hidden and in many cases the intensity of the emotion creates conflict within the individual. This conflict is often referred to as "the little green monster." The experience of this deeply felt emotion can upset the balance in a relationship and can be intensified by often illusionary perceptions of the partner's betrayal.

Jealousy, status and class While relationships are possibly the most common way of understanding the dynamics of jealousy, the term can also be applied to larger and more complex social issues. Jealousy is also evident in the sociological theory of class conflict. This refers to the distribution and access to goods and services as well as status in a society.

Classical Marxist theory sees Capitalist society made up of the "have and have not's." In essence, Marxist theory posits that the society is in continual conflict between the producers of goods or workers and the owners of the means of production.

In a sense, this can be translated into terms of jealousy and envy - where those without status and wealth desire and are jealous of those with the lion's share of wealth in the society, which can be seen as the emotional source that drives the dynamics of Capitalist society. In Marxist theory the unequal distribution of goods and services is the essence of modern capitalist society which results in ongoing conflict between the different classes and between those who hold power and those who do not.

Jealousy as the desire for something that another might possess can also be seen to fit into the pattern of conflict between classes in a society. Jealousy can also exist within classes, especially when someone rises above their class and causes a resentful reaction for those who have not achieved status. The main energy of jealousy, however, came from the middle classes. Anyone who through merit broke through the class barrier and moved up a notch aroused fierce jealousy amongst those left behind who knew they would not follow.

(De Bono, E. 2001) In this sense, jealousy is a part of human nature and does not only exist within relationships between two people but extends into the society at large. A good example is the play Othello, by William Shakespeare. In this play, Iago is jealous of Othello for both personal and social reasons. Firstly he is jealous because Othello, a black man, has achieved a higher rank and status than he has. Secondly, Iago is jealous of the relationship that Othello has with the beautiful Desdemona.

His jealousy is the driving force and centre of conflict in the play. Advertising, envy and jealousy Jealousy and envy of others is often used in the advertising and marketing world to promote product sales. The image and stereotypes of ideal and desired objects and people are purposely manipulated to initiate a feeling of both envy and jealousy to motivate the viewer or audience to purchase the product. The well-known sociologist John Berger describes advertising in terms of envy. He states that advertising works by.".

proposing to each of us that we transform ourselves, or our lives, by buying something more... [Advertising] persuades us of such a transformation by showing us people who have apparently been transformed and are, as a result, enviable. The state of being envied is what constitutes glamour.

Grow, G.) In other words, by offering socially ideal images of people who have achieved a desirable state, such as a person who has become ideally thin by using a specific product, this creates a sense of envy and jealousy and inspires the purchase of that product. Envy therefore refers to the fact that we admire the success and achievement of others. Jealousy is close to envy in many ways but it is more 'active' in that it refers to the desire to possess what we feel should be ours.

As Simmel states: "When it is a case of attaining, we may more properly speak of envy; if it is a matter of retaining, jealousy is the passion involved." (Simmel, Georg, 2003) However, both emotions are interlinked and refer to the desire for and control over something that we do not have or are not sure of. Furthermore jealousy can create a sense of conflict and hostility. In particular jealousy can elicit either negative or positive feelings.