Abstract
Affect, the generalized feelings of actors in situations, has long been recognized by sociologists as both fundamental to and emergent from social life (for reviews of sociological work on affect and emotion, see Gordon 1990, and Smith-Lovin 1995). Four themes characterize contemporary sociological theorizing on affect: identity, control, action, and meaning. Goffman (1963, 1959) suggested that successfully enacting a social identity requires managing affective responses in a manner consistent with others’ expectations for that identity. For example, enacting the identity of a friend might involve physical gestures that convey feelings, such as smiling and prolonged eye contact, which facilitate defining both the social situation and the identities of the interactants within it (e.g., a meeting of friends). Once a situation and its interactants are defined the interaction can proceed. Likewise, Parsons and Shills (1962) argued that in any social encounter, individuals must assess both the nature and degree of affect that should be displayed, and that this depends upon their relationships to one another.
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© 2006 David P. Redlawsk
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Troyer, L., Robinson, D.T. (2006). Contributions of a Sociological Perspective on Affect to the Study of Political Action. In: Redlawsk, D.P. (eds) Feeling Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403983114_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403983114_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-53320-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4039-8311-4
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social & Cultural Studies CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)