Pauwke Berkers is Full Professor of Sociology of Popular Music at Erasmus University Rotterdam. As a music sociologist, he has written widely on social inequalities in popular music in academic journals, such as Gender & Society, Poetics, and Cultural Sociology. His most recent book is Gender Inequality in Metal Music Production (with Julian Schaap, 2018). As a cultural sociologist, his work addresses topics such as authenticity, stigmatization, boundary work and (long silence) awkwardness. Yosha Wijngaarden is Assistant Professor Media and Creative Industries at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Working at the intersection of sociology, media studies, organization studies, and geography, she has written extensively on work practices and (potentially awkward) social interactions within the creative industries. Her work has been published in academic journals such as Geoforum, Human Relations, and Cultural Trends.
Introduction: Sociology's awkward silence on awkwardness
1. Theorizing awkwardness
2. Culture, meaning, and awkwardness
3. Interactions, scripts, and awkwardness
4. Emotions, feelings, and awkwardness
5. Analyzing awkwardness
6. Awkward interactions
7. Awkward spaces
8. Awkward times
9. Dealing with awkwardness
Conclusion and discussion: That was awkward, folks!
