Industrialization as an Agent of Social Change: A Critical Analysis

by Blumer, Herbert; Maines, David R.; Morrione, Thomas J.

• ISBN13: 9780202304106
• ISBN10: 0202304108
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1990-04-01
• Publisher: Aldine De Gruyter

Summary

Herbert Blumer wrote continuously and voluminously, and consequently left a vast array of unpublished work at the time of his death in 1987. This posthumously published volume testifies further to his perceptive analysis of large-scale social organizations and elegant application of symbolic interactionist principles. Blumer's focus on the processual nature of social life and on the significance of the communicative interpretation of social contexts is manifest in his theory of industrialization and social change. His theory entails three major points: industrialization must be seen in processual terms, and the industrialization process is different for different historical periods; the consequences of industrialization are a function of the interpretive nature of human action and resembles a neutral framework within which groups interpret the meaning of industrial relations, and the industrial sector must be viewed in terms of power relations; industrial societies contain inherently conflicting interests. The editors' introductory essay outlines Blumer's metatheoretical stance (symbolic interactionism) and its emphasis on the adjustive character of social life. It places Blumer's theory in the context of contemporary macro theory, including world systems theory, resource dependence theory, and modernization theory. Herbert Blumer (1900-1987), formerly Chairperson, Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, was the theoretical and methodological leader of "symbolic interactionism" and was identified as its foremost proponent for a half-century. His publications include works on industrial relations, research methods, mass society, collective behavior, race relations, and social movements. David R. Maines is chairman of the department of anthropology and sociology at Oakland University. He has worked to articulate an interactionist approach to the study of social organization as well as the fundamental relevance of temporality and communication for sociological analysis. Thomas J. Morrione is Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology at Colby College and he is currently Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the college. He was a Research Associate (1977, 1985) and Visiting Professor (1984) at the University of California, Berkeley.

Table of Contents

Dedication	vii
Acknowledgments	ix
On the Breath and Relevance of Blumer's Perspective: Introduction to his Analysis of Industrialization	xi
David R. Maines
Thomas J. Morrione
Introduction	1	(12)
Ambiguity of the Concept of Industrialization	13	(18)
The Indequacy of the Colloquial Meaning of ``Industrialization''	14	(2)
The Confusion of Industrialization with Other Processes	16	(8)
Study of Selected Aspects or Expressions of ``Industrialization''	24	(7)
The Nature of Industrialization	31	(22)
Industrialization as a Type of Economy	32	(3)
Views of Industrialization as a Agent of Social Change	35	(7)
The Framework of Industrialization	42	(7)
Variation in Industrialization	49	(4)
Industrialization as an Agent of Social Change---Preliminary Considerations	53	(32)
Analysis of Happenings at Points of Entry	58	(17)
Implications of the Analysis	75	(7)
Summary Remarks	82	(3)
Industrialization and the Tranditional Order	85	(18)
Response of the Established Order to Industrialization	88	(9)
Significance of the Differential Responses of Established Social Orders	97	(4)
Summary Observations	101	(2)
Industrialization and Problems of Social Transition	103	(24)
The Alleged Role of Industrialization in Producing Social Disorder	104	(9)
Assessment of Industrialization as a Source of Social Disorder	113	(7)
Relation of Early Industrialization to Disorganization and Disorder	120	(7)
The Neutral Role of Industrialization	127	(18)
The Construction of a Typology of Early Industrialization	129	(5)
The Addition of the Social Setting	134	(11)
Implications of the Neutral Role of Industrialization	145	(24)
Implications for Research and Scholarly Study	145	(5)
Research Procedure under the New Perspective	150	(9)
Comparative Study of Industrialization	159	(2)
The ``Ideal Type'' of Analysis	161	(4)
Implications for Social Policy	165	(4)
Index	169