Feeling and form in social life
By: Lloyd Sandelands.
Series: Postmodern social futures
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Lanham [MD.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 207
Subjects: Social interaction.; Sociology.; Art and society.
Description: Feeling and Form in Social Life shows how a vigorous and practical science of society can be built. Drawing in part from the philosophy of Susanne Langer, Lloyd Sandelands reveals human societies to be forms of life known intuitively as feelings of a whole rather than as observed interactions of persons. These feelings, which are personal and subjective, are made public and objective by the uniquely human capacity for artistic abstraction.

Through art, people turn invisible feelings and forms of society into visible objects and performances that can be shared and studied scientifically.

The book brings this idea of society to life with diverse examples of social feelings and forms expressed in a stadium chant, folk dance, gift ritual, tree symbol, photograph, and organizational chart. Sandelands concludes with a powerful discussion of the implications of this idea for expanding the scope of social science and for resolving its persistent underlying confusions.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-202) and index.