New Paths in The Macrosociology of Emotions

Abstract

This chapter posits a macrosociology of emotions by outlining two interrelated paths: (1) the emotional structuring of environments and (2) institutions as affective reward systems. Drawing on affective neuroscience and sociological theory, the authors argue that affective forces such as grief, joy, and shame not only shape individual experience but also permeate the culture and structure of social collectives. From these experiences, emotional biographies guide cognition and behavior, especially following disruption or crisis. In their first path, the authors examine how collective emotional patterns emerge and spread through neighborhoods, communities, and organizations, contributing to lasting cultural shifts. Their second path reframes classical institutional sociology by folding in insights from motivational science and affective neuroscience, making the case that institutions channel, constrain, and amplify emotions, offering affective rewards that drive commitment and belonging. They also argue that not all individuals align with the emotional tone of their institutional environments, creating affective dissonance, withdrawal, or transformation. The final section is a call for methodological innovation, from affective lexicons and ecological momentary assessment to computational tools capable of mapping emotional dynamics across time and space. Together, these paths push social scientists to rethink how emotions structure social life and develop novel ways of capturing affect in macro-social life.