Full 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.
Contents
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
