A theory of embedded encounters

Abstract

A conceptual framework for analyzing the relations among macro-, meso-, and micro-level forces is introduced. This framework is used to develop propositions (enumerated in Appendices A-J) explaining the dynamics of embedded encounters. Encounters are viewed as embedded within corporate and categoric units which, in turn, are lodged in institutional domains. Meso-level corporate and categoric units determine the number of individuals present, the nature of the distinctions among these individuals, the locations of individuals in structures, and the broader cultural scripts that circumscribe interaction of those in focused interaction. The encounter itself reveals its own dynamic properties revolving around demographic, status, symbolic, and transactional forces which, on the one side, reflect the structure and culture of corporate and categoric units and which, on the other side, reveal the potential to change meso- and macro-level structures and their associated cultural symbols.

Citation

Turner, J.H. (2000), "A theory of embedded encounters", Advances in Group Processes (Advances in Group Processes, Vol. 17), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 285-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0882-6145(00)17012-2