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The negative aim of this paper is to identify shortcomings in received theories. First, we criticize approaching audiences, and large gatherings more general, in categories revolving around the notion of the crowd. Second, we show how leading paradigms in emotion research restrict research on the social-relational dynamics of emotions by reducing them to physiological processes like emotional contagion or to cognitive processes like social appraisal. Our positive aim is to offer an alternative proposal for conceptualizing emotional dynamics in audiences. First, we offer a notion of emotional sharing for studying the social-relational dynamics of emotions. Second, we propose a working concept of audience as a dynamic and dispersed social collective. Finally, we bring these elements together in the description of two scenes of jubilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current debate on shared or collective emotions has seen a rediscovery of Max Scheler. In this debate, Scheler's work is mostly read independent from its historic context. In particular, the influence of crowd psychology on Scheler's thought has not been taken into consideration, despite Scheler's explicit references to Le Bon's (1895) The Crowd. In this paper, I show that Scheler's understanding of emotional contagion is deeply indebted to Le Bon's mass psychology. Against this background, I critically discuss Scheler's distinction of emotional contagion (Gef#hlsansteckung) and feeling-with-one-another (Miteinanderf#hlen). This leads to the conclusion that, at least in the formulation provided by Scheler, this distinction hinders rather than enhances research on emotional sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]