Abstract

Alienation has objective, societal-level causes, yet is experienced as a psychological condition, more emotional than cognitive. Seeman's six varieties of alienation are expanded to ten, grounded in contemporary research and theory, and each is linked to a model of social relations and to specific emotions. This work synthesizes classical and contemporary alienation theory and the sociology of emotions. It will stimulate interest in alienation and emotions, contribute to political sociology, and find application in social psychiatry and related health and social-service fields that treat traumatized and highly alienated individuals.