
Interactionism
Exposition and Critique
Larry T. Reynolds(Author)
General Hall Inc.,U.S. (Publisher)
3rd Edition
Published on 1. January 1993
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-930390-65-5 (ISBN)
Description
This book presents an overview of that theoretical framework known as symbolic interactionism. It details the major intellectual and philosophical antecedents of the interactionist perspective, i.e., evolutionism, Scottish moral philosophy, German idealism, pragmatism, and functional psychology. Under the heading evolutionism, the Darwinian notion of the mutually determinative relationship existing between environments and organisms is discussed, as are Henri Bergson's conceptions of the nature of radical, abrupt departures from earlier life forms and of the emergence of novel events. Scottish moral philosophers are dealt with in terms of their contribution to the conceptual inventory of symbolic interactionism. Of particular relevance here are concepts such as the impartial spectator 'sympathy', the 'I', the 'Me', 'role taking', 'generalized other', and 'looking-glass self.' Those German idealists exerting an impact on George Herbert Mead and symbolic interactionism, namely, Fichte, Von Schelling, Kant, and Hegel receive mention. American pragmatic philosophy is then summarized, and special attention is given to the writings of Charles S. Pierce, William James, and John Dewey. The second chapter discusses the major early interactionists, i.e., Charles Horton Cooley, William Isaac Thomas, and George Herbert Mead. Part two discusses the principal varieties of contemporary symbolic interactionism. Major 'schools' receiving attention are the 'Chicago School', the 'Iowa School', the 'Dramaturgical Genre', and 'Ethnomethodology.' A unique feature of this section is that it ends with an attempt to provide a single sentence description of the symbolic interactionist viewpoint. Mead's writings are dealt with in terms of his utilization of such pivotal concepts as symbols, role taking, self, society, and mind. A listing of the primary characteristics of the early interactionism closes out this section of the book. The third section provides a representative set of criticisms of interactionism. They are provided by interactionists and also by those who favor other sociological orientations. Both early and contemporary interactionism come under fire, and the criticisms range from the mild to the sharp. The perspective stands accused, by friend and foe alike, of being quaint, ahistorical, noneconomic, imprecise, and apolitical. It has also ignored the unconscious and emotive components in human behavior, and it manifests a rather strong astructural bias. Interactionists may now be in the process of correcting these defects.
More details
Series
Edition
3rd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
453 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-930390-65-5 (9780930390655)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Larry T. Reynolds is Professor of Sociology at Central Michigan University and Adjunct Professor at the University of West Florida. He is former Chair of the Marxist Section of the American Sociological Association, recipient of the first annual Charles Horton Cooley Award, and past president of the North Central Sociological Association. A Fellow of the Rockport Institute, he has published in such journals as Sociometry, Sociological Quarterly, Phylon, and Current Anthropology. He is the author of A Critique of Contemporary American Sociology (1993); and Symbolic Interactionism (1994).
Content
Part 1 Symbolic Interactionism
Chapter 2 Intellectual Antecedents
Chapter 3 The Early Interactionists
Part 4 Contemporary Interactionism: Major Varieties
Chapter 5 The Chicago School
Chapter 6 The Iowa School
Chapter 7 The Dramaturgical Genre
Chapter 8 Ethnomethodology
Chapter 9 Contemporary Interactionism: Summary Characteristics
Part 10 A Perspective Critiqued
Chapter 11 Interactionist Self-Criticism
Chapter 12 Noninteractionist Critiques
Chapter 13 The New Studies in Social Organization: Overcoming the Astructural Bias
Chapter 14 Human Emotions
Chapter 15 Some Recent Directions in Symbolic Interactionism
Chapter 2 Intellectual Antecedents
Chapter 3 The Early Interactionists
Part 4 Contemporary Interactionism: Major Varieties
Chapter 5 The Chicago School
Chapter 6 The Iowa School
Chapter 7 The Dramaturgical Genre
Chapter 8 Ethnomethodology
Chapter 9 Contemporary Interactionism: Summary Characteristics
Part 10 A Perspective Critiqued
Chapter 11 Interactionist Self-Criticism
Chapter 12 Noninteractionist Critiques
Chapter 13 The New Studies in Social Organization: Overcoming the Astructural Bias
Chapter 14 Human Emotions
Chapter 15 Some Recent Directions in Symbolic Interactionism