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Betrayal : Towards a Sociology of Threachery

Åkerström, Malin LU (2024) p.118-133
Abstract (Swedish)
Betrayal often hits the very foundations of socials bonds: the loyalty of the “We” that we have assumed and taken for granted is broken. This chapter will begin with a discussion of the meaning of betrayal where it is argued that betrayal is a breach of trust, when information is shared, or actions initiated beyond an agreed upon boundary of relations.
The image of betrayal is associated with morally and legally exceptional cases, with harsh punishment and moral outrage when discovered. But the sociology of treachery does not only include spies or collaboration during war, but the breach of loyalty may include a pair of friends, colleagues, and romantic partners. Violations of loyalty may involve lesser everyday behaviour but also... (More)
Betrayal often hits the very foundations of socials bonds: the loyalty of the “We” that we have assumed and taken for granted is broken. This chapter will begin with a discussion of the meaning of betrayal where it is argued that betrayal is a breach of trust, when information is shared, or actions initiated beyond an agreed upon boundary of relations.
The image of betrayal is associated with morally and legally exceptional cases, with harsh punishment and moral outrage when discovered. But the sociology of treachery does not only include spies or collaboration during war, but the breach of loyalty may include a pair of friends, colleagues, and romantic partners. Violations of loyalty may involve lesser everyday behaviour but also unfaithfulness, taking important but different sides in worklife conflicts: illustrations of more dramatic situations.

Taking as a point of departure Simmers work on secrets and secrecy as well as his “formal sociology”, where different content may still be seen as having similar sociological form, Akerstrom discusses categories of betrayal, as well as the emotionally charged accusations involving a cultural stigma on the betrayer, inviting political motivated accusations. Furthermore, changes in who is seen as a traitor, the possible reinterpretation, will be discussed. Finally, the conditions that influence its emotional intensity in betrayal relationships will be analysed.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Dark Emotions : Difficult Emotional Experiences in Social and Everyday Life - Difficult Emotional Experiences in Social and Everyday Life
editor
Hviid Jacobseb, Michel
pages
25 pages
publisher
Routledge
ISBN
1032583754
978-1032583754
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5ab6a9da-c33a-4996-b85a-458cb2270dd9
date added to LUP
2024-06-20 23:30:53
date last changed
2024-06-24 12:16:10
@inbook{5ab6a9da-c33a-4996-b85a-458cb2270dd9,
  abstract     = {{Betrayal often hits the very foundations of socials bonds: the loyalty of the “We” that we have assumed and taken for granted is broken. This chapter will begin with a discussion of the meaning of betrayal where it is argued that betrayal is a breach of trust, when information is shared, or actions initiated beyond an agreed upon boundary of relations.<br/>The image of betrayal is associated with morally and legally exceptional cases, with harsh punishment and moral outrage when discovered.  But the sociology of treachery does not only include spies or collaboration during war, but the breach of loyalty may include a pair of friends, colleagues, and romantic partners. Violations of loyalty may involve lesser everyday behaviour but also unfaithfulness, taking important but different sides in worklife conflicts: illustrations of more dramatic situations.<br/><br/>Taking as a point of departure Simmers work on secrets and secrecy as well as his “formal sociology”, where different content may still be seen as having similar sociological form, Akerstrom discusses categories of betrayal, as well as the emotionally charged accusations involving a cultural stigma on the betrayer, inviting political motivated accusations. Furthermore, changes in who is seen as a traitor, the possible reinterpretation, will be discussed. Finally, the conditions that influence its emotional intensity in betrayal relationships will be analysed.<br/>.<br/><br/><br/>}},
  author       = {{Åkerström, Malin}},
  booktitle    = {{Dark Emotions : Difficult Emotional Experiences in Social and Everyday Life}},
  editor       = {{Hviid Jacobseb, Michel}},
  isbn         = {{1032583754}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  pages        = {{118--133}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{Betrayal : Towards a Sociology of Threachery}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}