Bodily interactions in interaction ritual theory and violence
pp. 245-259
in: Robert Gugutzer, Michael Staack (eds), Körper und Ritual, Berlin, Springer, 2015Abstract
The work of Randall Collins covers a wide array of topics which he explores from different methodological perspectives and in the light of various theoretical approaches. His area of expertise ranges from macro-historical sociology of political and economic change to micro-sociological analyses of face-to-face-interaction. Thus widely pitched, it has a considerable impact on the fields of social theory, conflict sociology and the sociology of emotions, amongst others. In his more recent works on interaction rituals (Collins 2004) and on the dynamics of violence (Collins 2008) Collins employs an explicitly ritual-theoretical approach, analysing human interaction from a micro-sociological perspective as interaction rituals. It is this point in particular which makes his work explicitly relevant and compatible in regards to several topics discussed in this book.
