Sex, smoking, and social stratification are three very different social
phenomena. And yet, argues sociologist Randall Collins, they and much
else in our social lives are driven by a common force: interaction
rituals. Interaction Ritual Chains is a major work of sociological
theory that attempts to develop a "radical microsociology." It proposes
that successful rituals create symbols of group membership and pump up
individuals with emotional energy, while failed rituals drain emotional
energy. Each person flows from situation to situation, drawn to those
interactions where their cultural capital gives them the best emotional
energy payoff. Thinking, too, can be explained by the internalization of
conversations within the flow of situations; individual selves are
thoroughly and continually social, constructed from the outside in.
The first half of Interaction Ritual Chains is based on the classic
analyses of Durkheim, Mead, and Goffman and draws on micro-sociological
research on conversation, bodily rhythms, emotions, and intellectual
creativity. The second half discusses how such activities as sex,
smoking, and social stratification are shaped by interaction ritual
chains. For example, the book addresses the emotional and symbolic
nature of sexual exchanges of all sorts--from hand-holding to
masturbation to sexual relationships with prostitutes--while describing
the interaction rituals they involve. This book will appeal not only to
psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists, but to those in fields
as diverse as human sexuality, religious studies, and literary theory.
