Collective Effervescence Ethnographies
Studies in the creation of social solidarity.
Written by members of the Introduction to Sociology classes.
William (Beau) Weston, Associate Professor of Sociology, presiding.
Danville, Kentucky
Fall, 2003
The Assignment:
Find a group that shared an emotional experience in a face-to-face encounter, and, as a result, developed a sense of social solidarity with one another. This kind of experience, which Emile Durkheim calls a "collective effervescence," is important in creating the emotional foundations of many kinds of social bonds.
Usually a group that shares a collective effervescence develops symbols, or "totems," of the group. These are especially valuable as reminders of the shared group feeling when the members are apart from one another. Describing these totems was the second part of the assignment.
The third part of the assignment was to briefly describe what it means to the members to be part of this group.
The Reports:
Below are links to each of the reports.