Moments and Their Men: Roscoe C. Scarborough M.A ...

Moments and Their Men: Cultural Architectures and Interactional Ecologies of Belonging and Inequality

Roscoe C. Scarborough Virginia Beach, Virginia

M.A., Sociology, University of Virginia, 2009 B.S., Sociology and Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University, 2007

A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology

University of Virginia August 2015

? Copyright by Roscoe C. Scarborough

All Rights Reserved August 2015

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Abstract

Late-modern America is experiencing unprecedented inequality, heightened individualism, and pervasive neoliberalism. In a climate characterized by the erosion of traditional sources of community, provisional commitments, and institutional liquidity, our belongings have become feeble and ephemeral. As a recent proliferation of scholarly and popular literature reveals, the day-to-day experiences of inequality and belonging are less bound to macro-social identifications and are instead becoming increasingly contextual.

Following Erving Goffman's recommendation that sociologists should focus on "moments and their men" rather than on "men and their moments," this research is a micro-sociology of encounters. I conducted 4000 hours of participant observation and 45 interviews with participants in three contexts: a volunteer fire department, a CrossFit gym, and amongst physicians at an academic health center. This research design allowed me to examine variations in culture and qualities of encounters. I became a firefighter, fighting fire and socializing in the firehouse; I joined a CrossFit gym and worked out with other patrons; and I shadowed young doctors in a hospital and integrated into their informal social world. Participation in the extended day-to-day action of these groups allowed me to offer deep, descriptive accounts and to understand the visceral experiences of belonging and inequality.

I coin the terms "cultural architecture" and "interactional ecology" to explicate the social foundations of belonging and inequality in face-to-face encounters. Cultural architectures are meanings and practices of a collective. Interactional ecologies are characteristics and modes of interaction. Fulfilling Goffman's prescription for sociologists to focus on interactions, I operationalize these concepts as qualities of encounters. When thinking about both culture and modes of interaction, I draw a distinction between institutional infrastructures and grassroots practices. Institutional infrastructures are imposed on those inhabiting encounters from positions of power and influence. These are central to upholding inequalities. Meanwhile, grassroots cultural practices emerge from the people constituting encounters and are central to creating and maintaining belongings. I argue that culture is central to sustained belongings, while qualities of encounters shape situational belongings in foundational ways. I conclude that cultural architectures and institutional ecologies function in dialogue to yield situational and sustained belongings and inequalities.

These belongings and inequalities not only develop amongst groups, but also operate in dialogue with broader systems of community and hierarchy. I assert that sociologists have much to gain by focusing on encounters, rather than individuals. Looking to encounters, we are able to better understand how belonging and inequality processes are negotiated and upheld by organizational constituents as they work, volunteer, and socialize. This dissertation highlights the unique cultural content that makes each group idiosyncratic, while also demonstrating that there are common qualities of encounters and culture that are binding and divisive across all groups.

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Table of Contents Chapter 1. Toward a Micro-Sociology of Encounters....................................................1 Chapter 2. Researching Encounters: The Firehouse, the Hospital, and the Gym....................36 Chapter 3. The Cultural Architecture of Belonging......................................................59 Chapter 4. The Interactional Ecology of Belonging.....................................................95 Chapter 5. The Cultural Architecture of Inequality....................................................132 Chapter 6. The Interactional Ecology of Inequality.....................................................169 Chapter 7. Moments and their Men: A Sociology of Encounters.....................................192 Appendix A: Observation Checklist.....................................................................204 Appendix B: Pre-Interview Information Sheet..........................................................207 Appendix C: Interview Schedule.........................................................................208 References....................................................................................................211

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Acknowledgements Writing a dissertation is a humbling experience. I could not have completed the project without the help and support of others. First and foremost, I am indebted to the firefighters, CrossFitters, and physicians who welcomed me into their lives as a researcher and as a peer. My involvement in each of these groups not only advanced the project, but also forced me to grow as a person. I am grateful to the late Lee Bouvier, my undergraduate mentor, for challenging me to pursue a career as a professional sociologist. At the University of Virginia, Allison Pugh played a central role in the dissertation. Her intellectual guidance and thorough feedback were invaluable. My other committee members--Sarah Corse, Josipa Roksa, and Richard Handler--each provided thoughtful critiques and challenged me to be a better sociologist. I am also thankful for excellent editorial assistance from Sarah Crain and Katie Lebert. Finally, I am indebted to Ava Adinolfi, Michele Darling, Molly Petry, and Russell Scarborough for reading drafts of chapters and providing thoughtful feedback. With the support of those who I mentioned and all of the others I neglected to include, this dissertation is a collective accomplishment.

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