Group Life: An Invitation to Local Sociology

Sociological analysis has been replete with debates about "micro" and "macro," individual and society, but all too often these miss the point: interacting groups are the hinge that connects them. To understand how structures matter and how individuals navigate them, we must take groups and people in local communities seriously.

Gary Alan Fine and Tim Hallett skillfully argue that sociologists have the obligation to examine the role of small communities in the creation of both the interaction order and structural realities. With novel concepts and rich ethnographic examples, this book describes how group commitments shape selves and society, emphasizing the importance of a meso-level approach to social organization. Focusing on shared action, Fine and Hallett provide new models of identity, culture, conflict, and control. They conclude by considering how a network of groups can provide insight into extended communication channels and social media lattices. Ultimately they show that, despite the importance of institutions and individuals, group life is the fundamental building block of community.

This timely book makes the case for a local sociology that includes sociality. It will be a welcomed resource for students and sociologists and a necessary call to action for the discipline as a whole.