ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the commonsense notion of awkwardness as an individual trait. The authors argue, however, that awkwardness is socially constructed, drawing on the sociology of interactions – in particular, the dramaturgical approach (Goffman) and ritual theory (Collins). Social interactions require a gathering of people in specific situations who take part in social occasions where they put up a performance. Social interactions are defined as the reciprocal influence of individuals on one another's actions when in each other's immediate presence. They can be focused or unfocused, but awkward feelings mostly arise from focused interactions going wrong (e.g. face-to-face conversations). Interactions take place within the context of social occasions – pre-established patterns of action, such as job interviews, which provide behavioral norms and rules, or scripts. The authors theorize that not knowing or deviating from a script is likely to lead to awkwardness. A script is always performed by people who may fail, resulting in awkwardness. While the dramaturgical approach lacks serious engagement with emotions, ritual theory provides ritual ingredients leading to collective effervescence or shared emotional energy. Hence, awkwardness can be theorized as an interaction that is failing to generate mutual emotional energy.
