Randall Collins

Randall Collins is an American sociologist known for his work in conflict theory and for developing interaction ritual chain theory, an account of how emotional energy generated in successful face-to-face rituals accumulates and flows through chains of social interaction to shape everything from group solidarity to the dynamics of violence. In Interaction Ritual Chains (2004) he built a micro-sociological theory grounded in the study of situations rather than individuals or fixed social structures, and his later research on violence used detailed situational analysis, including photographic and video evidence, to argue that most confrontations are marked by tension and fear that participants must overcome rather than a straightforward expression of aggression. He is also known for The Credential Society (1979), a conflict-theoretic account of the expansion of formal education.