What is social about the shaping and functioning of emotions?

Abstract

This manuscript examines the second edition of An invitation to the sociology of emotions, published by Routledge in 2024. Written by the American researcher Scott R. Harris, the book approaches emotions as socially constructed phenomena articulated on cultural grounds. The publication disentangles feelings from purely physiological determinations and situates the debate within the interactional field. Sociological categories are introduced for an audience new to the topic while maintaining substantial academic rigor, a notable challenge given the work’s introductory character. The text addresses emotional norms conceived as regulatory expectations that prescribe appropriate affects across different social interactions. Strategies oriented toward interpersonal control are described, distinguishing surface acting from deep acting. The remunerated management of feelings within contemporary professional settings receives prominent emphasis in the theoretical discussion of emotional labor. Exchange theory underpins the analysis of human transactions, positing that individuals calculate affective costs and benefits. The interpretive process of labeling is examined in view of the complexity that originates from bodily ambiguity and sensory simultaneity. The systematization of central concepts facilitates comprehension of empirical complexities documented in advanced research. The work forges connections between foundational principles and structural variations, and it contributes to disciplinary reproduction by preparing new researchers for future investigations in the sociological study of emotions.