Collective Effervescence

Sébastien Tutenges, Philip Smith

• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN: 9781439926833, 9781439926826
• eBook ISBN: 9781439926840
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Psychology
• Index: Social Sciences

Sociologist Émile Durkheim's theory of collective effervescence describes an overwhelming sense of excitement, empowerment, and unity. While originally tailored to examine religious phenomena, the theory has proven remarkably powerful in explaining secular experiences, from raves and military marches to sporting events and protest crowds.

The editors and contributors to Collective Effervescence make a deep dive into new waters. They investigate solo experiences, virtual collectivities, low-intensity effervescence, and negative outcomes. Through studies of drug ceremonies, occupational subcultures, bookshops, online activities, and much more, each chapter discovers and theorizes something previously unknown. Collective Effervescence finds new potentials in a familiar theoretical resource.

Contributors: Sarah H. Awad, Pierre Bouchat, Randall Collins, Silvia da Costa, Scott Draper, Lisa Flower, Romulo Lelis, Heather Margrsion, Sharon Mascall-Dare, Ashley Mears, Margit Anne Petersen, José J. Pizarro, Bernard Rimé, Dario Páez, David Sausdal, Daniel Smith, Femke Vandenberg, Brady Wagoner, David Wästerfors, Brad West, and the editors

Table of contents

• Contents
• Introduction: Rethinking Collective Effervescence | Philip Smith and Sébastien Tutenges
• 1. An Essay on la Fête: History of Collective Effervescence in Twentieth-Century French Thought | Romulo Lelis
• 2. Cultivating a Crowd: Cultural Tools of Protest Action | Brady Wagoner and Sarah H. Awad
• 3. Perceived Emotional Synchrony: A Social Psychological Perspective on Collective Effervescence | Darío Páez, Bernard Rimé, Pierre Bouchat, Silvia da Costa, and José J. Pizarro
• 4. Charisma and Collective Effervescence: Great Composers | Randall Collins
• 5. Does It Need to Be Loud? Religious Effervescence and Microlevel Sound | Scott Draper
• 6. Transformative Work: Individual Pursuits of Self-Improvement in Collective Ayahuasca Ceremonies | Margit Anne Petersen
• 7. Producing Esprit de Corps: On the Effervescent and Ritual Genesis of “Police Culture” | David Sausdal
• 8. Subversive Effervescence: The Case of Detention Homes | David Wästerfors
• 9. The Solitary Reader: The Anxieties of High-Culture Readers in the Time of Culture Wars | Daniel Smith
• 10. In the Wake of Collective Effervescence: Habitus and Identity Dysfunction in Military to Civilian Work Transition | Brad West, Sharon Mascall-Dare, and Heather Margrison
• 11. Sensorial Snags and Evaluative Effervescence: Exploring Virtual Justice Rituals | Lisa Flower
• 12. Digital Dance Floors: Distinguishing the Ineffectiveness of Collective Effervescence Online | Femke Vandenberg
• 13. A Taylor Swift Concert Is Watching My Face Right Now: Viral Publics and Platform-Afforded Collective Effervescence | Ashley Mears
• Contributors
• Index