Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism
Published on 20. June 2025
Book
Hardback
190 pages
978-1-0353-2417-0 (ISBN)
Description
This discerning book critically analyzes the key principles of symbolic interactionism, outlining their strengths and examining current weaknesses. Thomas Janoski provides novel insights into the theory, rethinking some of its foundations while adhering to its basic symbolic principles of the self.
Chapters cover new perspectives on humans' relationship with their society, emphasizing the generalized other as the central factor in symbolic interactionism. Janoski delves into underexplored applications of the framework within social mobility, organizations, elites, charisma, and the unconscious. He stresses the importance of conflict and power in strategic interaction in addition to empathetic sociation. He integrates the micro and macro aspects of sociology with interactionist and structuration theory, highlighting the need for symbolic interactionists to use multiple methodologies in their work including interviews, participant observation, surveys, and experimental research.
Providing a thought-provoking approach to reconsidering current paradigms, Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism is a vital read for scholars and students of sociology, social psychology, and political theory. It is also of great benefit to researchers seeking to understand new developments in symbolic interaction theory.
Chapters cover new perspectives on humans' relationship with their society, emphasizing the generalized other as the central factor in symbolic interactionism. Janoski delves into underexplored applications of the framework within social mobility, organizations, elites, charisma, and the unconscious. He stresses the importance of conflict and power in strategic interaction in addition to empathetic sociation. He integrates the micro and macro aspects of sociology with interactionist and structuration theory, highlighting the need for symbolic interactionists to use multiple methodologies in their work including interviews, participant observation, surveys, and experimental research.
Providing a thought-provoking approach to reconsidering current paradigms, Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism is a vital read for scholars and students of sociology, social psychology, and political theory. It is also of great benefit to researchers seeking to understand new developments in symbolic interaction theory.
Reviews / Votes
'Thomas Janoski has long been staking out new territory for sociological theorizing, displaying a remarkable creativity, analytic acumen, and a substantive breadth that others can only envy. Drawing on his expertise in political economy and political sociology, here, Janoski returns to core issues of interaction from a fresh perspective. In this long awaited synthesis, he shows that going beyond the traditional scope of symbolic interactionist concerns does not dilute its insights, but rather brings them to fruition.' -- John Levi Martin, University of Chicago, USA 'Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism by Thomas Janoski is true to its title and provides fresh and insightful insights on how to increase the explanatory power of this long-standing school of thought. This stimulating book emphasizes theoretical and methodological approaches that can add new insights for symbolic interactionists. The result is a new way to think about symbolic interaction as a more robust approach that can increase understanding of humans' sense of self and patterns of interpersonal behavior, while offering new ways to bring theorizing and research on social structures and their cultures into symbolic interactionist theorizing and research.More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-2417-0 (9781035324170)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Thomas Janoski, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Sociology Department, University of Kentucky, USA
Content
Contents
Preface
1 Introduction to Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism
2 The strengths and weaknesses of different theories of
symbolic interactionism
3 Revisioning the generalized other in symbolic interactionist
theory
4 Balancing power and sociation in symbolic interactionism,
and the creation of inequality
5 Expanding the generalized other through group position and
social network analysis
6 Where symbolic interactionists seldom tread: social mobility,
organizations, charisma, and the unconscious
7 Merging the macro- and micro-perspectives in social structure
8 Re-introducing multiple methodological approaches into
symbolic interactionist theory and research
9 Conclusion: rethinking the unthinkable
Afterword
Bibliography
Preface
1 Introduction to Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism
2 The strengths and weaknesses of different theories of
symbolic interactionism
3 Revisioning the generalized other in symbolic interactionist
theory
4 Balancing power and sociation in symbolic interactionism,
and the creation of inequality
5 Expanding the generalized other through group position and
social network analysis
6 Where symbolic interactionists seldom tread: social mobility,
organizations, charisma, and the unconscious
7 Merging the macro- and micro-perspectives in social structure
8 Re-introducing multiple methodological approaches into
symbolic interactionist theory and research
9 Conclusion: rethinking the unthinkable
Afterword
Bibliography