Emotional competence in the conditions of multiculturalism

Taking into account the cultural sources of knowledge and the meaning of emotions, in this text, some questions are posed pertaining to the multiculturalism of emotional competence and its importance in education. The theoretical framework of this discussion consists of two concepts: emotional culture, according to A. Russel Hochschild, and emotional competence by C. Saarni. In the first part of the article, I justify the cultural nature of emotional competence and consistently point to selected intercultural differences in the experience and expression of emotions. Sensitivity to beliefs, values, and rules related to emotions in a particular culture is the basis for recognizing children’s developmental and educational needs and developing a culturally conscious support system. In the second part, I make an attempt to describe the effects of the monocultural embedding of emotional competence development programs and indicate the conditions necessary for education in multiculturalism. I argue that learning how culture shapes emotional life and how emotions affect functioning in different cultures is vital for understanding other people.