Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Social Psychology and Sociology

by Sandstrom, Kent L.; Martin, Daniel D.; Fine, Gary Alan

• ISBN13: 9781891487729
• ISBN10: 1891487728
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-01
• Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr

Author Biography

Kent L. Sandstrom (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Northern Iowa Daniel D. Martin (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Miami University of Ohio Gary Alan Fine (Ph.D., Social Psychology, Harvard University) is a Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University

Table of Contents

In Appreciation	ix
About the Authors	x
Introduction to Instructors	1	(2)
The Meaning of Symbolic Interactionism	3	(30)
The Origins and Development of Symbolic Interactionism	4	(5)
Pragmatism and Sociology: The Contributions of George Herbert Mead	5	(4)
The Emergence of Symbolic Interactionism	9	(1)
Guiding Assumptions of the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective	9	(6)
Methodological Traditions and Practices	15	(5)
Changing Directions in Ethnographic Practice and Writing	16	(3)
Alternatives to Ethnography: The Iowa School and Conventional Scientific Methods	19	(1)
Related Social Psychological Perspectives	20	(6)
Dramaturgical Theory	20	(2)
Exchange Theory	22	(1)
Social Cognition Theory	23	(2)
Ethnomethodology	25	(1)
Summary	26	(2)
Glossary of Key Terms	28	(2)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	30	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	30	(3)
People as Symbol Makers and Users: Language and the Creation of Social Reality	33	(32)
Creating and Transforming Reality	33	(5)
Sensation	34	(1)
Conceptualization and Categorization	35	(1)
Symbols, Signs, and Meanings	35	(1)
The Importance of Symbols	36	(1)
Naming `Reality' and Creating Meaningful Objects	37	(1)
Language, Naming, and the Construction of Reality	38	(21)
Language, Naming, and Our Constructions of `Nature'	43	(4)
Language, Naming, and Our Constructions of Others	47	(9)
Language, Naming, and the Construction of `Inner' Reality: Emotional Experience	56	(3)
Summary	59	(2)
Glossary of Key Terms	61	(1)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	62	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	63	(2)
Socialization: The Creation of Meaning and Identity	65	(30)
Self-Development and the Stages of Socialization	67	(8)
The Preparatory Stage	69	(1)
The Play Stage	70	(1)
The Game Stage	71	(1)
The Emergence of the Dialectical Self: The `I' and the `Me'	72	(1)
Refinements of Mead's Theory of Self-Development	73	(2)
Socialization and the Creation of Gender Identity	75	(10)
Creating Gender Identity in Early Childhood	76	(1)
Re-creating Gender Identity: Preadolescent Culture and Play	77	(4)
Boys and Girls Together: Learning and Maintaining Gender Boundaries	81	(4)
Socialization as an Ongoing Process: Turning Points in Identity	85	(3)
Turning Points and Epiphanies: The Case of HIV/AIDS	85	(3)
Summary	88	(1)
Glossary of Key Terms	89	(1)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	90	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	91	(4)
The Nature and Significance of the Self	95	(32)
What Is the Self?	96	(2)
The Self as Social Process	98	(2)
The Self as Social Structure	100	(8)
The Self-Concept: Its Structure and Contents	101	(3)
Self-Esteem and Its Sources: Beyond the Looking-Glass Self	104	(3)
The Impact of the Self-Concept	107	(1)
The Self as Dramatic Effect	108	(7)
Staging the Self in Everyday Life	108	(4)
Regions of Self-Presentation	112	(1)
The Self as Situated Identity	113	(2)
Beyond Goffman: The Drama of Self Versus the Experience of Self	115	(1)
The Experience of Self in Postmodern Society	115	(4)
Summary	119	(1)
Glossary of Key Terms	120	(1)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	121	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	122	(5)
Role Taking, Role Making, and the Coordination of Action	127	(24)
Defining Situations and Their Reality	127	(3)
Roles, Role Taking, and Role Making	130	(4)
Role Taking	130	(1)
Role Making	131	(3)
The Coordination of Social Behavior: Aligning Actions	134	(2)
Aligning Actions and Motive Talk	134	(2)
Emotions and the Coordination of Behavior	136	(3)
Emotions and Role Attachments: Role Embracement Versus Role Distance	137	(2)
Power, Constraint, and the Coordination of Behavior	139	(4)
Relationships, Power, and Constraint	139	(1)
The Characteristics of Asymmetrical Relationships	139	(4)
Social Life as a Negotiated Order	143	(2)
Summary	145	(1)
Glossary of Key Terms	146	(1)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	147	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	148	(3)
The Politics of Social Reality: Constructing and Negotiating Deviance	151	(32)
What Is Deviance?	152	(2)
The Absolutist View	152	(1)
The Relativist View	153	(1)
Labeling Theory and the Social Construction of Deviance	154	(18)
The Banning Process: Moral Entrepreneurs and the Making of Deviance	155	(2)
The Detection Process: Seeing Deviance and Deviants	157	(5)
The Attribution Process: Imputing Motives and Negotiating Identities	162	(6)
The Reaction Process: Sanctioning and Its Effects	168	(2)
Challenging and Transforming Deviant Labels: Tertiary Deviance	170	(2)
Limitations and Extensions of Labeling Theory	172	(2)
Summary	174	(3)
Glossary of Key Terms	177	(2)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	179	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	180	(3)
Collective Behavior and Social Movements	183	(24)
Collective Behavior	183	(9)
Riots	185	(4)
Rumors	189	(3)
Social Movements	192	(8)
How Do Social Movements Emerge, and Why Do People Join Them?	192	(1)
Strategies and Bases of Movement Recruitment	193	(3)
Ideology, Identity, and Commitment	196	(1)
Frame Analysis and Alignment	197	(3)
Summary	200	(1)
Glossary of Key Terms	201	(1)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	202	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	203	(4)
The Relevance of Symbolic Interactionism	207	(14)
The Personal Relevance of Interactionism	208	(1)
Understanding Agency	208	(1)
Joint Action	209	(1)
Interactionism's Relevance for Social Policy	209	(1)
The Broadening Scope of Interactionist Analysis	210	(2)
Mesostructure	210	(1)
Organizational Analysis	211	(1)
Emerging Voices in Interactionism	212	(5)
Feminism	212	(3)
Neo-Marxism	215	(1)
Postmodernism	216	(1)
Conclusions	217	(1)
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	218	(1)
Suggested Readings for Further Study	218	(3)
Author Index	221	(4)
Subject Index	225