Charisma : Micro-sociology of Power and Influence

This new edition of Charisma is updated for today's classroom and contemporary cultural context, including case studies of cultural power and influential figures, new chapters on Taylor Swift and Steve Jobs, and a theoretical introduction to illuminate key processes of personal influence, public image, and social movements.

This new edition of Charisma: Micro-Sociology of Power and Influence is thoroughly updated and revised for today's classroom and contemporary cultural context. New to this edition is the inclusion of fresh case studies of cultural power and influential figures, new chapters on Taylor Swift and Steve Jobs, and a theoretical introduction to illuminate personal influence, public image, and expanding social movements. Randall Collins shines a critical light on how leadership works in today’s fast-paced and changing society, as it evolves beyond the pandemic era. This book asks what is charisma, and how does it relate to the media of communications and the pace of technological innovation? What do charismatic leaders look like under the micro-sociological microscope? Collins provides a highly readable exploration of charisma using the case studies of Jesus, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Lawrence of Arabia, Hitler, Churchill, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Madame Mao Zedong, Taylor Swift, and others. The book exemplifies Collins’s sophisticated micro-sociology in accessible and compelling prose, to show how sociology unveils hidden discoveries. This will be an essential resource for students, instructors, and researchers in sociology, social theory, cultural sociology, political science, cultural studies, communications, and business management.