The Delightful Experience of Collective Effervescence

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 31 December 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Singing along with the crowd at a concert. Cheering together at a sports game. Laughing with the audience at a funny moment in a movie. Even getting work done in a busy cafe or library. These are moments when you might experience what has been called collective effervescence, a feeling of social unity that comes from a shared moment. As the year draws to a close, we want to celebrate the uniquely human moments that people share together. Tell us about a recent moment of collective effervescence that you’ve experienced. Guests: Shira Gabriel, psychology professor, University at Buffalo DJ D Sharp, official DJ for the Golden State Warriors Zoe Ellis, director of music ministries, GLIDE memorial church Bryan Steele, communications director, Golden Gate Triathalon Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:15.2	At Radio Lab, we love nothing more than nerding out about science, neuroscience, chemistry.
0:21.6	But, but we do also like to get into other kinds of stories.
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0:43.9	Wherever you get your podcast.
0:46.5	From KQD in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:03.4	Here we are, friends, all gathered on the final day of the year 2025.
1:08.7	There's something beautiful about doing something together as we have all year
1:12.7	long on this show. But it's not quite the same as singing along with the crowd at a concert
1:18.0	or cheering together at a Valkyrie's game. Those are moments when you might experience what the
1:23.6	sociologist Meal Durkheim called collective effervescence,
1:27.7	and we're going to explore that concept today.
1:30.5	What is it?
1:31.2	When might you experience it?
1:32.7	And why is it one of the keys to making our society better?
1:36.1	It's all coming up next right after this news. Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. There is a lot of loneliness in our society these days. We spend a lot of time talking about lonely young men, but you know, there are
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