UIC Sociology Department - Warner Delivers Presidential Address

Warner Delivers Presidential Address

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Steve Warner delivered his presidential address to the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Tampa, Florida, on November 3, 2007.

The title of his talk, which will be published in >a forthcoming issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, was "Singing and Solidarity." Inviting seven others--Nancy Ammerman, Jay Demerath, Anne Heider, Meredith McGuire, Regine Reincke, Jim Spickard, and Melinda Wagner--to join him in what he called The Tampa Octet, Steve's talk began with a song done in "sacred harp" style to demonstrate the thesis that singing together creates social solidarity. In the audience was social theorist Randall Collins, whose concept of "interaction ritual chains" was used by Steve to theorize his point. The talk was greeted with a lengthy standing ovation.