Citation

Scheff TJ. Curr. Sociol. 2011; 59(3): 347-361.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0011392111400787

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article describes two basic aspects of the social-emotional world: degree of connectedness (solidarity/alienation) and six specific emotions. This field needs to be clarified, because of the use of vernacular words rather than clearly defined concepts. Two sets of definitions are proposed. The first involves conceptual and operational definitions of degree of connectedness. The second offers a preliminary taxonomy of six emotion concepts. The connectedness formulation establishes an alienation/solidarity axis with three points between complete solidarity and complete alienation. Studies of pluralistic ignorance and false consensus, drama theory and other applications fall somewhere in the middle of this axis. The emotions taxonomy can be a first step toward better understanding their role in social life and their relation to connectedness. The theory implied by these definitions can be viewed as a first step toward a map of the social-emotional world.