Thomas Scheff
Biographic Data
| ID | 82973 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Thomas Scheff |
| GIVEN NAMES | Thomas |
| FAMILY NAME | Scheff |
| SIGNATURE | SCHEFF T |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 75 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 24 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1965 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Humiliation-Revenge in Warfare: Emotions, Nationalism, and War
This chapter, "Humiliation-Revenge in Warfare: Emotions, Nationalism, and War," from Thomas J. Scheff's forthcoming book, explores the role of humiliation and the subsequent desire for revenge as drivers of warfare. Scheff argues that entire nations can experience humiliation, leading to wars of revenge, citing World Wars I and II as potential examples. He examines the period between 1872 and 1914 in France, highlighting the pervasive influence o…
Shame and the Social Bond
Toward Integration: Disciplines, Specialties and Journals
Toward Defining Basic Emotions
This essay proposes a group of six basic emotions defined as concepts for scholarly use. Such a step seems to be needed because of the present chaos of emotion terminology. The public and most scientific studies use vernacular terms, even though they are extremely ambiguous and misleading. Both the public and scholars also seem to be caught up in a mass of assumptions and avoidances. To illustrate steps toward clarity, four forward-looking studie…
Response to Commentary by Link
Toward a concept of stigma
Role-taking, Emotion and the Two Selves
This note links three hitherto separate subjects: role-taking, meditation, and theories of emotion, in order to conceptualize the makeup of the self. The idea of role-taking plays a central part in sociological theories of the self. Meditation implies the same process in terms of a deep self able to witness itself. Drama theories also depend upon a deep self that establishes a safe zone for resolving intense emotions. All three approaches imply b…
A Note on the Origins of Deinstitutionalization
A Note on the Origins of Deinstitutionalization." Deviant Behavior, 35(6), pp. 475–476 Additional informationNotes on contributorsThomas ScheffTHOMAS SCHEFF is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is past president of the Pacific Sociological Association, and past chair of the Emotions Section of the American Sociological Association. Some of his publications are Being Mentally Ill, Microsociology, Bloody Revenge,…
The Ubiquity of Hidden Shame in Modernity
This essay proposes that shame may be one of the keys to understanding our civilization: shame or its anticipation is virtually ubiquitous, yet, at the same time, usually invisible. Since the vernacular term for shame is wildly ambiguous, a tentative definition is proposed. C.H. Cooley's idea of the looking-glass self implies that shame and pride can be seen as signals of the state of the social bond. Theoretical work by Cooley and Erving Goffman…
Goffman on Emotions: The Pride-Shame System
This essay proposes that Goffman's basic method was the intuitive recognition of generic examples of social interaction. This focus on examples, when considered from the point of view of two of Cooley's general propositions, helps explain the meaning of Goffman's metaphor of theatrical performance, and his insistence on the risk of shame in all interaction. These ideas make sense following Pascal's emphasis on the intuitive element in finding new…
A social/emotional theory of ‘mental illness’
One reason that theories of mental illness have made little progress may be their focus on individuals, omitting the social/relational and emotional world. Adding these components will be difficult, however: in modern societies they have become virtually invisible, particularly the emotion of shame. The theory outlined here is based on the work of Cooley, Elias, Lewis and Goffman: shame is both social and individual and, if anticipation is includ…
Getting Unstuck: Interdisciplinarity as a New Discipline
Most disciplines and subdisciplines consider their particular specialization to be valuable in itself and superior to other disciplines. But compared with the huge leaps in the physical sciences, the social/behavioral sciences and humanities have made little progress. Since many of the physical science advances were the result of the merging of disciplines, perhaps interdisciplinarity should be tried. One path to connecting disciplines, subdiscip…
Diagnosis as Part of a Large Social Emotional System
This article examines the diagnosis of mental illness as part of a process that can be more clearly understood if envisioned as part of a larger system that goes on in most social encounters. These encounters can go in three directions: Labeling, Enabling, and Normalization. Labeling is equivalent to stigmatization, the awarding of a shameful status. Enabling awards a prideful status: “There is nothing wrong with you.” Normalization takes a middl…
Response to Jasper
This essay is a response to Jasper’s essay “Climbing the Scheff Ladder.”
Parts and Wholes: Goffman and Cooley
This essay begins with an outline of the part‐whole method, a way of relating particular instances to general concepts or propositions. This method is illustrated by seven propositions extracted from Cooley’s work that seem to be illustrated by concrete examples from Goffman’s writing. This method weds qualitative study with theory in a preliminary way, and ultimately, qualitative and quantitative methods. Since Goffman’s examples breathe life in…
The Catastrophe of Scientism in Social/Behavioral Science
that do report effects (such as correlations) suggest an ongoing fraud. In the attitude/ behavior research discussed here, the effects appear to have been near zero for years (are not increasing) and the main reason may be that the measurement instruments are not valid. In attitude research, however, the most common explanation for this situation is to blame the subjects for the inconsist ency between their attitude and their behavior, rather tha…
Updating Labelling Theory: Normalizing but not Enabling
In modern societies we often make judgements of certain kinds of behaviour that are virtually automatic: delusions show that one is crazy, wrong answers show that one is ignorant, and so on. The theory of labelling/normalization suggests caution in making these judgements because of the effect they are likely to have on the social relationship, feelings of rejection and embarrassment. There is a social-emotional component in all human contact tha…
Is Humor Serious
tion to study of institutional interaction and varieties of issues it encompasses. Conversation analysis and related ap proaches, though a persistent presence in discipline, remain at its margins, particularly in U.S. study of institutional interac tion is beginning to change this, as its topics are more familiar to researchers who might question sociological credentials of area. However, for those wanting to ground their work with a deeper under…
Aggression, Hypermasculine Emotions and Relations: The Silence/Violence Pattern
How Emotions Work
Being Mentally Ill: A Sociological Theory
Sociology after the Crisis.Charles Lemert
Outpatient psychiatry: Diagnosis and treatment
Concepts of Insanity in the United States, 1789-1865
The Ubiquity of Hidden Shame in Modernity
This essay proposes that shame may be one of the keys to understanding our civilization: shame or its anticipation is virtually ubiquitous, yet, at the same time, usually invisible. Since the vernacular term for shame is wildly ambiguous, a tentative definition is proposed. C.H. Cooley's idea of the looking-glass self implies that shame and pride can be seen as signals of the state of the social bond. Theoretical work by Cooley and Erving Goffman…
Goffman on Emotions: The Pride-Shame System
This essay proposes that Goffman's basic method was the intuitive recognition of generic examples of social interaction. This focus on examples, when considered from the point of view of two of Cooley's general propositions, helps explain the meaning of Goffman's metaphor of theatrical performance, and his insistence on the risk of shame in all interaction. These ideas make sense following Pascal's emphasis on the intuitive element in finding new…
Toward Defining Basic Emotions
This essay proposes a group of six basic emotions defined as concepts for scholarly use. Such a step seems to be needed because of the present chaos of emotion terminology. The public and most scientific studies use vernacular terms, even though they are extremely ambiguous and misleading. Both the public and scholars also seem to be caught up in a mass of assumptions and avoidances. To illustrate steps toward clarity, four forward-looking studie…
The Catastrophe of Scientism in Social/Behavioral Science
that do report effects (such as correlations) suggest an ongoing fraud. In the attitude/ behavior research discussed here, the effects appear to have been near zero for years (are not increasing) and the main reason may be that the measurement instruments are not valid. In attitude research, however, the most common explanation for this situation is to blame the subjects for the inconsist ency between their attitude and their behavior, rather tha…
Getting Unstuck: Interdisciplinarity as a New Discipline
Most disciplines and subdisciplines consider their particular specialization to be valuable in itself and superior to other disciplines. But compared with the huge leaps in the physical sciences, the social/behavioral sciences and humanities have made little progress. Since many of the physical science advances were the result of the merging of disciplines, perhaps interdisciplinarity should be tried. One path to connecting disciplines, subdiscip…
Updating Labelling Theory: Normalizing but not Enabling
In modern societies we often make judgements of certain kinds of behaviour that are virtually automatic: delusions show that one is crazy, wrong answers show that one is ignorant, and so on. The theory of labelling/normalization suggests caution in making these judgements because of the effect they are likely to have on the social relationship, feelings of rejection and embarrassment. There is a social-emotional component in all human contact tha…
Toward Integration: Disciplines, Specialties and Journals
Diagnosis as Part of a Large Social Emotional System
This article examines the diagnosis of mental illness as part of a process that can be more clearly understood if envisioned as part of a larger system that goes on in most social encounters. These encounters can go in three directions: Labeling, Enabling, and Normalization. Labeling is equivalent to stigmatization, the awarding of a shameful status. Enabling awards a prideful status: “There is nothing wrong with you.” Normalization takes a middl…
Parts and Wholes: Goffman and Cooley
This essay begins with an outline of the part‐whole method, a way of relating particular instances to general concepts or propositions. This method is illustrated by seven propositions extracted from Cooley’s work that seem to be illustrated by concrete examples from Goffman’s writing. This method weds qualitative study with theory in a preliminary way, and ultimately, qualitative and quantitative methods. Since Goffman’s examples breathe life in…
Role-taking, Emotion and the Two Selves
This note links three hitherto separate subjects: role-taking, meditation, and theories of emotion, in order to conceptualize the makeup of the self. The idea of role-taking plays a central part in sociological theories of the self. Meditation implies the same process in terms of a deep self able to witness itself. Drama theories also depend upon a deep self that establishes a safe zone for resolving intense emotions. All three approaches imply b…
Concepts of Insanity in the United States, 1789-1865
Concepts of Insanity in the United States, 1789-1865
Outpatient psychiatry: Diagnosis and treatment
Sociology after the Crisis.Charles Lemert
Being Mentally Ill: A Sociological Theory
How Emotions Work
Aggression, Hypermasculine Emotions and Relations: The Silence/Violence Pattern
Is Humor Serious
tion to study of institutional interaction and varieties of issues it encompasses. Conversation analysis and related ap proaches, though a persistent presence in discipline, remain at its margins, particularly in U.S. study of institutional interac tion is beginning to change this, as its topics are more familiar to researchers who might question sociological credentials of area. However, for those wanting to ground their work with a deeper under…
Updating Labelling Theory: Normalizing but not Enabling
In modern societies we often make judgements of certain kinds of behaviour that are virtually automatic: delusions show that one is crazy, wrong answers show that one is ignorant, and so on. The theory of labelling/normalization suggests caution in making these judgements because of the effect they are likely to have on the social relationship, feelings of rejection and embarrassment. There is a social-emotional component in all human contact tha…
Response to Jasper
This essay is a response to Jasper’s essay “Climbing the Scheff Ladder.”
Parts and Wholes: Goffman and Cooley
This essay begins with an outline of the part‐whole method, a way of relating particular instances to general concepts or propositions. This method is illustrated by seven propositions extracted from Cooley’s work that seem to be illustrated by concrete examples from Goffman’s writing. This method weds qualitative study with theory in a preliminary way, and ultimately, qualitative and quantitative methods. Since Goffman’s examples breathe life in…
The Catastrophe of Scientism in Social/Behavioral Science
that do report effects (such as correlations) suggest an ongoing fraud. In the attitude/ behavior research discussed here, the effects appear to have been near zero for years (are not increasing) and the main reason may be that the measurement instruments are not valid. In attitude research, however, the most common explanation for this situation is to blame the subjects for the inconsist ency between their attitude and their behavior, rather tha…
A social/emotional theory of ‘mental illness’
One reason that theories of mental illness have made little progress may be their focus on individuals, omitting the social/relational and emotional world. Adding these components will be difficult, however: in modern societies they have become virtually invisible, particularly the emotion of shame. The theory outlined here is based on the work of Cooley, Elias, Lewis and Goffman: shame is both social and individual and, if anticipation is includ…
Getting Unstuck: Interdisciplinarity as a New Discipline
Most disciplines and subdisciplines consider their particular specialization to be valuable in itself and superior to other disciplines. But compared with the huge leaps in the physical sciences, the social/behavioral sciences and humanities have made little progress. Since many of the physical science advances were the result of the merging of disciplines, perhaps interdisciplinarity should be tried. One path to connecting disciplines, subdiscip…
Diagnosis as Part of a Large Social Emotional System
This article examines the diagnosis of mental illness as part of a process that can be more clearly understood if envisioned as part of a larger system that goes on in most social encounters. These encounters can go in three directions: Labeling, Enabling, and Normalization. Labeling is equivalent to stigmatization, the awarding of a shameful status. Enabling awards a prideful status: “There is nothing wrong with you.” Normalization takes a middl…
Response to Commentary by Link
Toward a concept of stigma
Role-taking, Emotion and the Two Selves
This note links three hitherto separate subjects: role-taking, meditation, and theories of emotion, in order to conceptualize the makeup of the self. The idea of role-taking plays a central part in sociological theories of the self. Meditation implies the same process in terms of a deep self able to witness itself. Drama theories also depend upon a deep self that establishes a safe zone for resolving intense emotions. All three approaches imply b…
A Note on the Origins of Deinstitutionalization
A Note on the Origins of Deinstitutionalization." Deviant Behavior, 35(6), pp. 475–476 Additional informationNotes on contributorsThomas ScheffTHOMAS SCHEFF is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is past president of the Pacific Sociological Association, and past chair of the Emotions Section of the American Sociological Association. Some of his publications are Being Mentally Ill, Microsociology, Bloody Revenge,…
The Ubiquity of Hidden Shame in Modernity
This essay proposes that shame may be one of the keys to understanding our civilization: shame or its anticipation is virtually ubiquitous, yet, at the same time, usually invisible. Since the vernacular term for shame is wildly ambiguous, a tentative definition is proposed. C.H. Cooley's idea of the looking-glass self implies that shame and pride can be seen as signals of the state of the social bond. Theoretical work by Cooley and Erving Goffman…
Goffman on Emotions: The Pride-Shame System
This essay proposes that Goffman's basic method was the intuitive recognition of generic examples of social interaction. This focus on examples, when considered from the point of view of two of Cooley's general propositions, helps explain the meaning of Goffman's metaphor of theatrical performance, and his insistence on the risk of shame in all interaction. These ideas make sense following Pascal's emphasis on the intuitive element in finding new…
Shame and the Social Bond
Toward Integration: Disciplines, Specialties and Journals
Toward Defining Basic Emotions
This essay proposes a group of six basic emotions defined as concepts for scholarly use. Such a step seems to be needed because of the present chaos of emotion terminology. The public and most scientific studies use vernacular terms, even though they are extremely ambiguous and misleading. Both the public and scholars also seem to be caught up in a mass of assumptions and avoidances. To illustrate steps toward clarity, four forward-looking studie…
Humiliation-Revenge in Warfare: Emotions, Nationalism, and War
This chapter, "Humiliation-Revenge in Warfare: Emotions, Nationalism, and War," from Thomas J. Scheff's forthcoming book, explores the role of humiliation and the subsequent desire for revenge as drivers of warfare. Scheff argues that entire nations can experience humiliation, leading to wars of revenge, citing World Wars I and II as potential examples. He examines the period between 1872 and 1914 in France, highlighting the pervasive influence o…
Psychology (15 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Epistemology (11 works) · Philosophy (10 works) · Philosophy (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Social science (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (5 works)