Understanding Emotion, Embodiment, and Persuasive Processes: An Argument for Charisma and Sociological Glamour as Concepts

• In Event: 447 - Section on Social Psychology Roundtable Session (co-sponsored with Section on Sociology of Emotions)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 06. Emotions and Theory Construction

Abstract

Max Weber’s classic work on charisma focuses on how leaders legitimated their authority by fostering emotional, irrational connections with their followers (Weber [1963] 1991). In this paper I argue that the body as well as emotion should be fully brought into theories of charisma in order to better specify the boundaries between physical attributes and emotions associated with relationships that we currently refer to as charismatic. I propose a tripartite group of ideal types for cognitive, emotional, and somatic-sensory persuasion, which preserves Weber’s concept of charisma for emotionally driven connections and introduces two new terms: glamour and cognitive magnetism. I use both terms in a manner that differs from their popular usage to some degree and discuss glamour in depth in this version of the paper. The payoffs from a better specified conceptualization of what is and is not charisma include but are not limited to: 1) a richer understanding of traditionally feminine forms of appeal or influence and modifications to the body associated with them, 2) a more nuanced description of the role rational calculations and emotion patterns play in charisma and other forms of cognitive and somatic-sensory appeal or influence that does not misallocate rationality by making it solely a feature of rational-legal authority, 3) a clearer understanding of cases of female leadership and legitimation of authority by women including similarities to and different from cases involving men.

Author

• Elizabeth A. Williamson, University of Chicago