The Sociology of Loyalty - by James Connor (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A well-developed appreciation of emotions is absolutely essential for sociology because no action can occur in a society without emotional involvement. Jack Barbalet (2002:2) Why we engage in what we do is a consuming passion of our existence. Motivations are searched for, discussed, lamented and sometimes even wished away. A range of labels, descriptors, markers, terms, signs and symbols are invoked to explicate the why. This is particularly the case with the cluster of e- tion terms that are employed to explain our passions. Riven with anger, driven insane by jealousy, wracked with guilt, leaden with sorrow, twitching with an- ety, tormented by angst--these all speak to the way passion and action are linked or, in other words, how our emotions sign post the world. It is intriguing that we have such a range of emotional states, feelings and passions, that have, to a large extent, gone un-theorised. This is especially the case with specific, individual emotions and their role in social life. While some of the emotions or passions have been the subject of academic inquiry and debate, such as shame (Braithwaite, 1989), love (Cancian, 1987) or trust (Misztal, 1996), one, in particular, has a curious absence: loyalty. If, as Barbalet (2002:2) posits, emotions are central to social action, then the emotions offer a window into the why and how of social interaction.

From the Back Cover

Loyalty is a concept that is invoked as part of nearly all human interaction " yet it remains disturbingly under-theorised. In this ground-breaking and innovative book the concept of loyalty is explored through a sociology of emotions framework and it is demonstrated that loyalty is an emotion. In establishing that loyalty is an emotion on a par with the likes of trust, hope and shame the author explores a range of theoretical models of emotion and how they might apply to loyalty. A sociological view offers the best means to explore such a diffuse, yet specific, phenomenon like loyalty. The author demonstrates that loyalty helps to guide action, furnish identity, operates at various layers and requires the existence of competing loyalties. This is shown through a series of diverse case studies that incorporate macro- and micro-sociological examples. The case studies begin with national loyalties, where the author explores how actors profess loyalty to a nation in times of war and how immigrants establish a national loyalty. Then it moves onto familial loyalty, including the challenges of step, blended and pseudo-family, to show how loyalty functions. Sporting loyalty is explored next, and how this connection to a team can infuse an actor's actions. The case studies are concluded by an investigation of cultural representations of loyalty.

This book is ground-breaking in that it takes an under-theorised concept " loyalty and explains it. It is innovative as it applies a new methodological approach " a sociology of emotions framework and demonstrates that loyalty is an emotion. Further, the book connects macro-sociological events (such as war) to an actor's emotional state and reveals the role macro-emotions play in the life of the individual. This book is a must for anyone interested in emotions or anyone that needs to understand loyalty.