“At the alley that night, I was fascinated and a bit awed by what I had witnessed. Here was the social structure in action right on the bowling alleys. It held the individual members in their places—and me along with them. I did not stop to reason then that, as a close friend of Pecci, Frank, and Gillo, I held a position that was close to the top of the gang and therefore was expected to excel. I simply felt myself buoyed up by the situation. My friends were for me, had confidence in me, believed I would bowl well. I felt supremely confident. I have never felt quite that way before—or since. I was feeling the impact of the group structure upon me. It was a strange feeling, as if something larger than myself was controlling the ball as I went through my swing and released it toward the pins.”
Source: Participant observer, 1994, p. 38; As cited in: Ickis (2014)
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
Do you have more details about the quote "At the alley that night, I was fascinated and a bit awed by what I had witnessed. Here was the social structure in acti…" by William Foote Whyte?
William Foote Whyte 17
American sociologist 1914–2000Related quotes

Susannah Constantine
(1962) British fashion designer and journalist
As quoted in "Retail therapists" by Fiona Neill in The Times (14 July 2007)
Robert Monroe
(1915–1995) American founder of The Monroe Institute
Journeys Out of the Body (1971), Chapter 2. Search and Research

Ray Charles
(1930–2004) American musician
Summers in Tallahassee, p. 48
Brother Ray : Ray Charles' Own Story (1978)