Flowers, Interaction and Emotion

Previous research has identified that there is a body of research on flowers. There is rather little regarding the interrelations between flowers and interaction, and the role of flowers in weddings and funerals. It is this gap in the research that this research addresses. This study applies a sociological perspective to explore on a micro level the role of flowers in social interaction within ritual spaces, whilst also examining the management of identity involved. The research uses an ethnographic approach, applying case-study methods deriving from an interpretivist standpoint that focuses on the uniqueness of an individual’s experience. Through choice and decision making, people utilise flowers as institutionalised props that assist in the presentation of selves during ritual practices. When Goffman’s dramaturgical framework (1959) is applied alongside Hochschild’s concept of emotion work (1979) and Gordon’s (1981) definition of sentiment, they can be identified as multifaceted institutionalised props, with interchangeable meaning, assisting in the management of a positive sentiment identity. Flowers also reaffirm intergenerational connections with others, enhancing a sense of belonging in community.