ABSTRACT
Randall Collins’ theory of interaction ritual is supplemented by adding dynamics inhering in macro- and meso-level patterns of social organization, as these constrain the dynamics of interpersonal processes at the micro level of social organization. A particular emphasis is put on culture attached to social structures, as it flows down to the level of interpersonal behavior and constrains the operation of interaction rituals. Moreover, emphasis is also placed on additional interpersonal dynamics that also constrain the flow and unfolding of interaction rituals as conceptualized by Collins. The result is a more robust conception of the forces directing interpersonal processes and the unfolding of interaction rituals. This conception imposes a different ontology on Collins’ work, one that he would probably think unnecessary, but that, to me, is needed for interaction ritual theory to realize its full explanatory potential.
