Mapping of Basic and Moral Emotions of Elderly Residents of “Depressed” Territories as a Tool of Emotional Conflict Prevention

Abstract

The article presents an overview of the main theoretical approaches to the origins of the notions of “basic” and “moral” emotions, and the correlation of emotions and space in such scientific fields as cultural anthropology, sociology, and psychology, starting from the 1980s. Also, the article provides examples of contemporary research which utilizes the visualization of basic and moral emotions by means of applications and computer software as a method of studying the emotional image of the city (cities). In 2017–2022, the author created emotion maps of semi-abandoned Vorzogory and Maloshuika villages and Komsomolsky settlement of the Arkhangelsk region (northern Russia), based on anonymous questionnaires among their permanent senior residents. Mapping of emotions made it possible to visualize problem emotional loci, to reveal the existence of emotional segregation and places of mixed emotions, and to determine the borders of emotional environments. As a result of field observations and analysis of travel blogs, the author concludes that there is a “a conflict of emotions”, i.e. a contradiction between the basic and moral emotions. Not only places of basic emotions, such as anxiety and disgust, but also places of moral emotions, such as pride and shame, require preventive work, aimed at avoiding potential community conflicts, as well as conflicts between the local populations and tourists/migrants, preserving emotional health of senior citizens, and in the end, promoting sustainable development of local communities.