Awkwardness: A Theory

by Alexandra Plakias

Overview

Awkwardness offers an account of the psychology and philosophical significance of a ubiquitous social phenomenon. Our aversion to awkwardness mirrors our desire for inclusion. This explains its power to influence and silence us: as social creatures, we don't want to mark ourselves as outsiders. As a result, our fear of awkwardness inhibits critique and conversation, acting as an impediment to moral and social progress. Even the act of describing people as "awkward" exacerbates existing inequities, by consigning them to a social status that gives them less access to the social goods (knowledge, confidence, social esteem) needed to navigate potentially awkward situations.

Awkwardness discusses how we ostracize and punish those who fail to fit into existing social categories; how we all depend on—and are limited by—social scripts and norms for guidance; and how these norms frequently let us down when we need them. But awkwardness has a positive side: it can highlight opportunities for moral and social improvement, by revealing areas where our social norms and scripts fail to meet our needs or have yet to catch up with changing social and moral realities. Awkwardness ultimately underscores the conflict between our moral motivations and our desire for social approval and conformity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780197683606
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/06/2024
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Alexandra Plakias is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College. She grew up in New York City and received her PhD from the University of Michigan. She works on issues in moral psychology and social epistemology and has published on topics including disgust, self-confidence, moral disagreement, and the philosophy of food.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter One: This is Awkward

Chapter Two: Feeling Awkward

Chapter Three: Awkward, Socially

Chapter Four: Morally Awkward Problems

Chapter Five: Awkward Silence

Chapter Six: The Importance of Being Awkward

Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"We naturally want to avoid awkwardness and turn away in its presence. Plakias stares at it with intense and generous attention and refuses to turn away. In exploring its every aspect, she gives us a book that is philosophically rich, original, and ethically wise. I am glad that this impressive account of awkwardness is so adroit." — Nick Riggle, author of This Beauty: A Philosophy of Being Alive

"A brilliant and timely investigation of an under-investigated topic, Awkwardness is as thoughtful as it is graceful. Spanning topics from the nature of awkwardness to its less-noticed moral implications, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in moral psychology as well as social and political philosophy." — Kate Manne, author of Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny

"Everyone knows what it's like to feel awkward — if you don't, you may be a psychopath. That's one of the inferences to be drawn from this warmly and well written study, which argues for a better understanding of the phenomenon so that we can learn both to defuse the discomfort that it causes and to recognize it as 'a tool for moral and social progress'... [the author's] message is that we should act and, rather than flinching from an awkward moment, laugh at it, name it and use it as the spur for a difficult conversation." — Miranda France, Times Literary Supplement

"In this thought-provoking volume, Plakias (Hamilton College) shows us that awkwardness is a surprisingly powerful motivator and predictor of human behavior." — L. A. Wilkinson, CHOICE

From the Publisher