Introduction : methodological innovations in the sociology of emotions part two - methods

An ongoing challenge within the sociology of emotions is the accurate capture, measurement, and understanding of emotions in social contexts. Situated emotions can be fleeting, and elude recall. They reflect both individual feelings and cultural expectations; and they incorporate physiological and bodily changes that can occur beyond awareness. However, our empirical methods often rely on memory, and our analyses are largely narrative, thematic, and discursive. This special section, the second of two on methodological innovations in the sociology of emotions, offers practical responses to these difficulties by examining methods for studying emotions in real time as social phenomena.