Emotion, Social Theory, and Social Structure: A Macrosociological Approach

222 Pages·2001·3.223 MB·English

by  J. M. Barbalet

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EMOTION, SOCIAL THEORY,
AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Emotion, Social Theory, and Social Structure takes sociology in a new
direction. It examines key aspects of social structure by using a fresh
understandingofemotionscategories.Throughthisexcitingsynthesis
emergeoriginalperspectivesonrationality,classstructure,socialaction,
conformity,basicrights,andsocialchange.Aswellasgivinganinnova-
tiveviewofsocialprocesses,J.M.Barbalet’sstudyrevealsunappreciated
aspects of emotions by considering fear, resentment, vengefulness,
shame,and confidence in the context of social structure.While much
hasbeenwrittenonthesocialconsequencesofexcessiveorpathological
emotions,thisbookdemonstratesthecentralityofemotionstoroutine
operationsofsocialinteraction.Dr.Barbaletalsore-evaluatesthenature
ofsocialtheory,foroncetheimportanceofemotionstosocialprocesses
becomesclear,theintellectualconstitutionofsociology,andtherefore
itshistory,mustberethought.
J. M. Barbalet is Reader in Sociology at the Australian National
University. He is the author of Marx’s Construction of Social Theory
(1983),and Citizenship:Rights,Struggle and Class Inequality (1988),as
well as numerous articles for scholarly journals on various aspects of
politicalsociologyandsociologicaltheory.

Emotion, Social Theory,
and Social Structure
A Macrosociological Approach
J.M.Barbalet
         
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
  
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia
Ruiz de Alarcón 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
http://www.cambridge.org
©J. M. Barbalet 2004
First published in printed format 1998
ISBN 0-511-03521-7 eBook (Adobe Reader)
ISBN 0-521-62190-9 hardback
ISBN 0-521-00359-8 paperback
Formyeldestson,Tom

Contents
Acknowledgments pageviii
Noteoncitations ix
Introduction 1
1 Emotioninsociallifeandsocialtheory 8
2 Emotionandrationality 29
3 Classandresentment 62
4 Actionandconfidence 82
5 Conformityandshame 103
6 Rights,resentment,andvengefulness 126
7 Fearandchange 149
Epilogue 170
References 192
Index 207
vii
Acknowledgments
Debts incurred in producing a work such as this are always greatly in
excessofwhatcanbeproperlyacknowledged.Buttwonameswhichmust
bementionedinthiscontextareTomScheffandDaveKemper.Through
the example of their publications,and their personal encouragement,it
becamepossibletoseethatthesociologicalunderstandingofemotionsis
not only attainable,but offers insights and approaches which otherwise
couldnotbeachieved.Mymethodsandstylearenottheirs,however,and
neitherofthemisresponsibleforwhatfollows.
Earlier versions of three chapters were previously published, and I
would like to acknowledge that a paper which became chapter 3 first
appearedinSociologicalTheory,andthatpaperswhichbecamechapters4
and7firstappearedintheJournalfortheTheoryofSocialBehaviour.
Through my membership of the Emotions Section of the American
Sociological Association and the International Society for Research on
EmotionsIhaveenjoyedmanydiscussionsaboutemotion.Byacircuitous
route,suchencountersandsubsequentreflectionhavecontributedmore
than I can indicate to what is written in the following, and I wish to
acknowledgemygratitudetothoseorganizationsandtheirmembers.
InalessorganizedwayIhaveenjoyedmuchstimulatingconversation
aboutemotionswithJoedeRivera,ofClarkUniversity,BertellOllman,of
NewYorkUniversity,DougPorpora,ofDrexelUniversity,andSuzanne
Dee,oftheAustralianNationalUniversity.Iwishtothankeachofthem
fortheirfriendshipandencouragement.
CatherineMax,ofCUP,isespeciallythankedforherguidance,andfor
selectingthreeanonymousreviewerswholedmeintoclarityonanumber
ofpoints.Thesethreealsohavemysincerethanks.
WithMargotLyon,oftheAustralianNationalUniversity,Ihavemuch
discussedandexperiencedemotions.Mythankstohercovermorethan
thespanofthepagesthatfollow.
Finally,my greatest thanks are owed to my children,Tom,Felix,and
David. Life and work are simple words, but the meanings of what they
refertoareultimatelyunfathomable.Mysenseofthosethings,however,
comesinlargemeasurefrommychildren,andmyfeelingsforthem.
viii