Stargazing: Celebrity, Fame and Social Interaction

The sociology of fame and celebrity is at the cutting edge of current scholarship in a number of different areas of study. Stargazing highlights the interactional dynamics of celebrity and fame in contemporary society, including the thoughts and feelings of stars on the red carpet, the thrills and risks of encountering a famous person at a convention or on the streets, and the excitement generated even by the obvious fakery of celebrity impersonators. Using compelling, real-life examples involving popular celebrities, Ferris and Harris examine how the experience and meanings of celebrity are shaped by social norms, interactional negotiations, and interpretive storytelling.

Kerry O. Ferris is associate professor of sociology at Northern Illinois University. She works toward a sociology of fame using ethnographic methods and a symbolic-interactionist approach. Her work has been published in Symbolic Interaction, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, and Human Studies. Her current project examines small-market newscasters’ experiences of local celebrity.

Scott R. Harris is associate professor at Saint Louis University. His research centers on social interaction and social constructionism. His books include What Is Constructionism? Navigating Its Use in Sociology (Lynne Rienner 2010) and The Meanings of Marital Equality (SUNY 2006).

1. The Sociology of Celebrity 2. The Dynamics of Fan-Celebrity Encounters 3. Seeing and Being Seen: The Moral Order of Celebrity Sightings 4.“Ain’t Nothing like the Real Thing, Baby” Framing Celebrity Impersonator Performances 5. “How Does It Feel to Be a Star?” Identifying Emotions on the Red Carpet 6.“When Did You Know that You’d Be a Star?” Attributing Mind on the Red Carpet 7. Conclusion: Studying the Interpretive and Interactional Dimensions of Celebrity and Fame