Theoretical Principles of Sociology, Volume 2

Jonathan H. Turner

Theoretical Principles of Sociology, Volume 2

Microdynamics

Jonathan H. TurnerDepartment of SociologyUniversity of California at RiversideRiverside, CAUSAjonathan.turner@ucr.edu

ISBN 978-1-4419-6224-9 e-ISBN 978-1-4419-6225-6DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-6225-6Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010929262

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To the memory of my early mentors at the University of California at Santa Barbara from 1961–1965: Tamotsu Shibutani, Donald R. Cressey, and Walter Buckley, all of whom exposed me to symbolic interactionist theory, which became the starting point of my interest in micro theory. An especial thanks to Tamotsu Shibutani, my advisor for 3 years, for cultivating my interest in psychoanaltyic theory, a key ingredient in my approach to the study of emotions.

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Preface

This is the second volume of Theoretical Principles of Sociology on microdynamic processes. Like the other volumes in this trilogy of books, I seek to define the fundamental properties of a realm of social reality and then develop principles on the operate dynamics of these properties. The ultimate goal is to articulate a series of highly abstract principles that apply to all times and places that humans have interacted and organized. The twenty-nine nice principles in this volume explain, I believe, many if not most of what transpires when humans interact in focused (face-to-face) and unfocused (avoidance of face engagement) encounters. I obviously take the distinction between focused and unfocused encounters from Irving Goffman because I see encounters as the fundamental structure of the micro social realm. A theory of microdynamics should explain the forces driving the behaviors of individuals in encounters, and as is evident, these behaviors are constrained not just by the properties and dynamics of encounters but also by the dynamics of meso- and macro-level phenomena. An encounter is almost always embedded with in meso- and macro-level sociocultural for-mations. This embedding loads the values of the variables in the theory, while providing conduits by which the meso and macro realms influence individuals interactions in encounters. Thus, in developing principles on the dynamics of encounters, considerable progress is made on linking, theoreti-cally, the micro, meso, and macro realms together. The often-noted macro–mico gap is closed; and the three volumes of Principles of Sociology, when taken together as one general theory, resolve to a very great extent the con-ceptual gap across levels of social reality.

The principles offered here build on two earlier efforts to develop a general theory of microdynamics, A Theory of Social Interaction (2000) and Face-to-Face: Toward a Theory of Interpersonal Processes (2002), and Human Emotions: A Sociological Theory (2007). The major difference in this volume and these other books is that the principles developed in these

viii Preface

pages to be part of a more inclusive set of principles on mesodynamics and macrodynamics that address the other two fundamental realms of the social universe. Of course, my effort here is not the last answer, but only a begin-ning to formulate the laws of interpersonal processes and to see how these laws articulate with those about meso- and macro-level dynamics. Although the theory is certainly in the grand theory genera, it is nonetheless a theory that can be tested and revised; moreover, the theory can be assessed in more purely analytical terms with regard to whether or not the principles capture all of the properties and processes of the micro realm. When arguments are stated in a formal way, even when couched at a very high level of abstrac-tion, the ideas do not get buried in textual discourse but, instead, are high-lighted so that their plausibility can be assessed. If there is to be discourse, it should focus on what are seen as generic properties and on theoretical principles explaining their dynamics. When discourse is on these issues, it promises to advance theoretical sociology as a science.

Murrieta, CA Jonathan H. Turner USA

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Acknowledgements

The research for this volume, as will all my other works in theoretical works in sociology, has been supported by the Academic Senate, University of California at Riverside. I remain ever-thankful that these funds are made available each year because they allow me to complete even very large proj-ects like this one.

I also remain thankful that Clara Dean, my typist for over 40 years, con-tinues to type for me, while proof reading for serious errors. Her conscien-tious efforts save me a great deal of time, and on many occasions, potential embarrassment.

I should also acknowledge two other people who have exerted the most influence on my theorizing about micro social processes. I cannot consider him as an undergraduate mentor because he came to Santa Barbara in my last year and one-half on campus; yet, as the years have gone by, it is clear that I owe continuing debt to Thomas Scheff, whose work continues influ-ence of my analysis of emotional dynamics. And as is most evident by the frequent citations, this volume owes a debt to Randall Collins, my former colleague, who pulled me back into micro-level theorizing after a 20-year excursion into more macro-level theorizing and whose theory set me think-ing about how I might conceptualize microdynamic processes, especially as they relate to meso- and macro-level dimensions of the social universe.

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Contents

1 The Micro-level Realm of Social Reality ...................................... 1Encounters and the Microdynamic Realm ....................................... 1Dynamic Forces of the Micro Realm ............................................... 9

Ecological and Demographic Forces of the Microdynamic Realm ......................................................... 11Status Forces in the Microdynamic Realm ................................... 15Role Forces in the Microdynamic Realm ..................................... 16Cultural Forces of the Microdynamic Realm................................ 18Motivational Forces in the Microdynamic Realm ........................ 21

Elementary Principles on Micro-level Forces in Encounters ........... 25Conclusion ........................................................................................ 27

2 The Embedding of Encounters ...................................................... 29The Unfolding of Social Reality....................................................... 29

The Emergence and Power of the Macro Realm .......................... 29The Meso Realm of Reality .......................................................... 31

The Structure of Embedding ............................................................ 39The Structure and Culture of Macro-level Social Reality............. 39The Structure and Culture of Meso-level Reality ......................... 46The Structure and Culture of Micro-level Reality ........................ 48

Elementary Principles of Embedding of Encounters ........................ 51Conclusion ........................................................................................ 54

3 Ecological and Demographic Dynamics in Encounters .............. 57The Dynamics of Ecology and Demography in Focused Encounters ...................................................................... 59

The Juxtaposition and Movements of Bodies in Focused Encounters .................................................................. 60Density Among Participants and Onlookers to Encounters .......... 61The Organization of Space in Focused Encounters ...................... 63

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Props and their Use in Focused Encounters .................................. 66Technological Mediation of Interaction in Focused Encounters .................................................................................... 71

Ecological and Demographic Dynamics in Unfocused Encounters .................................................................. 73

Why Unfocused Encounters are Important in Micro- and Macro-level Theorizing.......................................... 73Juxtaposition of Bodies and Movement in Unfocused Encounters .................................................................................... 76Density Among Participants and Onlookers to Unfocused Encounters .............................................................. 80The Organization of Space in Unfocused Encounters .................. 82Props and their Use in Unfocused Encounters .............................. 86Technologically Mediation of Unfocused Encounters .................. 88

Elementary Principles on the Ecology and Demography of Encounters .................................................................................... 89Conclusion ........................................................................................ 91

4 Status Dynamics in Encounters ..................................................... 93Status-Organizing Processes............................................................. 93Status Dynamics in Focused Encounters .......................................... 99

The Clarity of Status ..................................................................... 100Network Dynamics and Status ...................................................... 111Power and Authority as Status ...................................................... 114Prestige and Honor as Status ........................................................ 117Embedding of Status ..................................................................... 118

Status Dynamics in Unfocused Encounters ...................................... 119Determining Status in Corporate Units ......................................... 120Status and Categoric Units ............................................................ 122

Elementary Principles on Status Dynamics in Encounters............... 126Conclusion ........................................................................................ 130

5 Role Dynamics in Encounters........................................................ 133The Dynamics of Roles in Focused Encounters ............................... 134

Role-Taking and Role-Making ..................................................... 134The Phenomenology and Psychology of Role-Making and Role-Taking ............................................................................ 136Inventories of Roles and Role-Making/Role-Taking .................... 138Verification and Re-verification of Roles ..................................... 142Complimentary Roles ................................................................... 147Normatizing of Roles .................................................................... 148

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The Embedding of Roles .............................................................. 150The Dynamism of Roles ............................................................... 154

Roles in Unfocused Encounters........................................................ 156Elementary Principles on Role Dynamics in Encounters ................. 158Conclusion ........................................................................................ 161

6 Cultural Dynamics in Encounters ................................................. 163Normatization in Focused Encounters .............................................. 167

Categorizing Persons and the Situation ........................................ 167Keying and Re-keying Frames ...................................................... 171Forms of Talk and Non-verbal Communication ........................... 174Rituals in Encounters .................................................................... 176Emotions and Feelings in Encounters ........................................... 183

Normatizing in Unfocused Encounters ............................................ 185Elementary Principles on Cultural Dynamics in Encounters ........... 188Conclusion ........................................................................................ 191

7 Motivational Dynamics in Encounters ......................................... 193Transactional Needs in Focused Encounters .................................... 195

Needs to Verify Identities ............................................................. 195Dynamic Relations Among Identities ........................................... 202Needs to Realize Profits in Exchange Payoffs .............................. 204Needs for Group Inclusion ............................................................ 210Needs for Trust ............................................................................. 212Needs for Facticity ........................................................................ 213Embedding and Meeting Transactional Needs in Focused Encounters .................................................................. 216

Transactional Needs in Unfocused Encounters ................................ 222Trust in Unfocused Encounters ..................................................... 222Facticity in Unfocused Encounters ............................................... 225Group Inclusion in Unfocused Encounters ................................... 226Exchange Payoffs in Unfocused Encounters ................................ 228Verification of Identities in Unfocused Encounters ...................... 229

Elementary Principles on the Dynamics of Transactional Needs in Encounters ......................................................................... 231Conclusion ........................................................................................ 234

8 Emotional Dynamics in Encounters.............................................. 237The Nature of Human Emotions....................................................... 238

Expanding the Emotional Palate ................................................... 238The Defense of Self ...................................................................... 245

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The Folk Notion of Personality ................................................... 249The Language of Emotions ......................................................... 250

Emotional Dynamics in Focused Encounters ................................. 252Basic Conditions of Emotional Arousal...................................... 252The Effects of Attributions on Emotional Arousal ..................... 254Embedding and Emotional Arousal ............................................ 258Emotional Arousal in Focused Encounters ................................. 262

Emotional Dynamics in Unfocused Encounters ............................. 263Elementary Principles on Emotional Dynamics in Encounters .................................................................................. 265Conclusion ...................................................................................... 268

9 The Micro Basis of the Meso and Macro Social Realms ........... 271The Evolution of the Meso and Macro Realms of Reality ............. 274Commitments to Meso- and Macro-level Social Units .................. 277Reproduction and Change in Meso- and Macro-level Social Units ..................................................................................... 281

Reproduction Dynamics in Encounters....................................... 281Transformational Dynamics in Encounters ................................. 289

Principles Microdynamic Reproduction and Transformation ......................................................................... 295Conclusion ...................................................................................... 298

10 Principles of Microdynamics ....................................................... 303The Principles of the Microdynamic Realm ................................... 304

Basic Properties and Dynamics in Encounters ........................... 304The Embedding of Encounters .................................................... 306The Ecology and Demography of Encounters ............................ 308Status Dynamics in Encounters................................................... 310Role Dynamics in Encounters ..................................................... 314Normatizing Dynamics in Encounters ........................................ 316Transactional-Need Dynamics in Encounters ............................. 319Emotional Dynamics in Encounters ............................................ 321Microdynamics and the Reproduction or Transformation of Meso- and Macro-level Sociocultural Formations ................. 324

Conclusion ...................................................................................... 328

References ............................................................................................ 329

Author Index......................................................................................... 341

Subject Index ........................................................................................ 345

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List of Figures

Fig. 1.1 A simple conceptual scheme ................................................. 6

Fig. 2.1 The structure of embedding and encounters .......................... 42Fig. 2.2 The culture of embedding for all encounters ......................... 49

Fig. 6.1 Culture and normatizing ........................................................ 165Fig. 6.2 Axes of framing ..................................................................... 173Fig. 6.3 Types of rituals ...................................................................... 177

Fig. 7.1 Types and levels of identity formation .................................. 197

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List of Tables

Table 1.1 Definitions of basic properties of the micro realm ............. 7Table 1.2 Broad definitions of microdynamic forces

driving encounters .............................................................. 10

Table 2.1 Properties of corporate units. Increasing clarity of expectation in encounters ............................................... 32

Table 2.2 Properties of categoric units. Increasing clarity of expectations in encounters ................................................ 37

Table 2.3 Generalized symbolic media within institutional domains ............................................................................... 44

Table 6.1 Dimensions or axes of normatization ................................. 164Table 6.2 Categorizing situations and intimacy ................................. 169

Table 7.1 Transactional needs ............................................................ 194Table 7.2 Brief definitions of types of identities ................................ 196

Table 8.1 Representative examples of statements on primary emotions ........................................................... 239

Table 8.2 Variants of primary emotions ............................................. 241Table 8.3 First-order elaborations of primary emotions ..................... 242Table 8.4 The structure of shame and guilt ........................................ 243Table 8.5 Repression, defense, transmutation, and targeting

of emotions ......................................................................... 246