Emotional Simultaneity and the Construction of Victim Unity

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2094583
AutoresJohn Heeren (California State University, San Bernardino, autor de correspondencia), John W Heeren
Año1999
Volumen22
Número2
Páginas163-179
Fecha de publicación1999-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSymbolic Interaction (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0195-6086 • E-ISSN: 1533-8665
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1525/si.1999.22.2.163
OpenAlexW2168669820
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas34

One of the concerns in recent work on the sociology of emotions is the link between emotions and social bonding. A version of this issue has also been discussed in research on disasters, with the focus being on how the crisis leads to the cohesion essential to recovery and rebuilding. This paper provides an analysis of a fire and its aftermath and shows how central emotions are to understanding the social psychology of the event. Most important here is the fact that, when identifying themselves as fire victims, those affected by the disaster assumed that they experienced the same profound emotions at the same time. This emotional simultaneity led fire victims to emphasize their bonds to one another and heighten their boundaries with nonvictims. In turn, this led to their providing social support, comparative experiences, and practical assistance to each other

Criminology · Emotional contagion · Simultaneity · Sociology · Emotional Labor in Professions · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Law in Society and Culture · Psychology · Psychology of Social Influence · Social Psychology