The Emotional 'Man' and the Problem of Collective Action

This book presents three social action models rational, normative and emotional. It proposes the emotional model of social action and shows the many ways in which social structures, formal organizations and social movements are pervaded by emotions. The core of the book contains three empirical case studies focused on the question of how emotions, interests and symbolic worlds account for conformism and defiance. Its last part assesses the current state of the theory of social movements and the sociology of emotions. It suggests how their agendas could be expanded.

Autorentext

The Author: Helena Flam received her Fil.Kand. at the University of Lund, Sweden and her Ph.D. at Columbia University, New York. She was a researcher at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences, fellow at the Max Planck Institute (Köln) and assistant professor at the University of Konstanz. Since 1993 she is professor of sociology at the University of Leipzig.

Klappentext

This book presents three social action models - rational, normative and emotional. It proposes the emotional model of social action and shows the many ways in which social structures, formal organizations and social movements are pervaded by emotions. The core of the book contains three empirical case studies focused on the question of how emotions, interests and symbolic worlds account for conformism and defiance. Its last part assesses the current state of the theory of social movements and the sociology of emotions. It suggests how their agendas could be expanded.

Inhalt

Contents: Models of social action Social structure Formal organizations Work organizations Social movements Sociology of emotions Unstable labor markets Symbolic worlds Career-making and lay-offs Civil rights movement The rescue of Jews during the Holocaust Opposition in the Soviet system.