Revolt from the Middle: Emotional Stratification and Change in Post-Industrial SocietiesThose who address conflict resulting from differing socio-economic groups (stratification systems) focus on the arousal of negative emotions. Less frequently explored are the effects of positive emotions, particularly among the middle classes in industrial and post-industrial societies. In more developed societies, those experiencing positive emotional energy far outnumber those who endure negative emotions. Jonathan H. Turner sees the distribution of positive and negative emotions in developed societies as another basis for grouping people into socio-economic classifications. Such distribution explains the commitments of middle classes to the system and the lack of class-based social movements from lower classes. Turner argues for Marxâ s theoryâ when a populationâ s vast majority is consistently experiencing negative emotions, the potential for revolution within society increases. Turner explains why class-conflict potential is low in developed societies and how it might increase if the middle classes lose their share of resources. He notes the beginnings of this shift, but says that the overall positive emotions of the middle class have not yet transitioned from positive to negative. Capitalism will persist, but it will be a reformed capitalism, especially in the United States, as taxes and regulation by government assure higher levels of resource redistribution to members of a society. |
Contents
The Institutional Basis of Societal Stratification | |
Emotional Dynamics | |
The Power of Cultural Expectations 5 The MicroLevel Distribution of Emotions II The Power of Social Structural Locations | |
The Power of Transactional Needs 7 Emotional Inequality and Collective Mobilization | |
Emotional Polarization and Social Change | |
Other editions - View all
Revolt from the Middle: Emotional Stratification and Change in Post ... Jonathan H. Turner No preview available - 2017 |
Revolt from the Middle: Emotional Stratification and Change in Post ... Jonathan H. Turner No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
actions become behaviors capital categoricunit memberships conflict consolidation corporate units credentials defense mechanisms devalued categoric units differentiated diffuse anger diffuse status characteristics distribution diverse institutional domains division of labor dynamics economic embedded emotional stratification emotionally emphasized encounters exchange experience negative emotions experience positive emotions feel feeling rules formation Gini coefficient guilt hominin humans identity ideologies increase individuals inequality institutional systems interaction intersection inthe legitimating the stratification media as resources meet expectations members of categoric members of devalued memberships in categoric membersof metaideologies legitimating middle classes mobility moral negative emotional arousal negative emotional energy negative sanctions neocortex norms oflabor ofthe people’s persons polity population positive emotional energy postindustrial societies potential prestige primary emotions repressed rituals sacredness/piety salience sense shame situation social class social movement organizations social structures status beliefs status locations stratification system subpopulations symbolic media themore thereby transactional needs transmuted Turner unequally value premises valued resources