In his theory of interaction rituals Collins’ argues that class cultures and the process by which individuals are arranged into social classes emerge and are maintained on the basis of ritual dynamics of the interaction between the classes. Collins’ theory of interaction suggests that humans get charged up with ‘emotional energy’ whenever they instantaneously interact someone based on a ritual of previous interactions. According to Collins’ it is emotional energy that attracts us towards certain types of situations, and draws us away from others. Emotional energy is what makes us enthusiastic to initiate social interactions (Collins, 2005, p. 107). Similarly, emotional energy has a cognitive component that causes our memory to associate an emotional charge to specific symbols based on previous interactions, so that these symbols may entice us to enthusiastically dominate social situations, enact membership in social groups, and initiate social interactions in the near future (Collins, 2005, p. 116).
In simple words, our emotions contribute to the maintenance of society by serving as a pivotal motivating force, encouraging us to be initiate social interactions, be a part of social groups and situations we feel attracted to. According to Collins’, our emotions, or what he refers to as ‘emotional energy,’ play a major role in the development of class cultures (Collins, 1981). Collins also suggests that we exchange emotional energy during social interactions. This exchange of emotions is what helps people in locating appealing interpersonal relationships within society and connect to them. Emotional energy can lead us to a specific cultural or social sphere, to a particular social group, or to anther individual for a new social encounter. Thus, it can be concluded that our emotions or ‘emotional energy’ motivates us to form class cultures, social bonds, and social networks, and even macrostructures. Finding our place within the society is governed by our emotions.
References
Collins, R. (1981). On the microfoundations of macrosociology. American Journal of Sociology,86(5), 984-1014.
Collins, R. (2005). Interaction ritual chains (princeton studies in cultural sociology). Princeton University Press.
