Social Constructionist and Positivist Approaches to the Sociology of Emotions

Abstract

Social constructionist and positivist approaches to the sociology of emotions differ in three respects: (1) social constructionists generally reject the importance of the biological and physiological substrate in the determination of specific emotions, while positivists affirm the opposite view; (2) social constructionists suppose that emotions are largely determined by social norms for emotion, or "feeling rules," while positivists assert that social structure, particularly the outcomes of actors' power and status relations, determines emotions; and (3) social constructionists, following a symbolic interactionist model, propose that actors must define situations before emotions will be experienced-but they do not explain how this is done, or what categories actors use to help them define situations; positivists on the other hand ofter a specific social structural category scheme for defining situations and determining the emotions those definitions produce. These issues are discussed and suggestions for reconciling the two views are proposed.