Symbolic Interactionism : An Introduction, an Interpretation, an Integration

by Charon, Joel M.

• ISBN13: 9780132276917
• ISBN10: 0132276917
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

Using a unique step-by-step, integrated approach, Symbolic Interactionism: An Introduction, an Interpretation organizes the basic concepts of symbolic interactionism in such a way that the reader clearly understands the concepts and is able toapply them to their own lives. It emphasizes theactiveside of human beings-humans as definers and users of the environment, humans as problem solvers and in control of their own actions-and it shows students how society makesus, and how we in turnshapesociety.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
1 The Nature of Perspective	1	(13)
New Perspectives Mean New Realities	6	(3)
Perspectives Are Socially Created	9	(1)
Are All Perspectives Created Equal?	9	(2)
Summary	11	(1)
Some Examples of Perspectives: Informal and Formal Perspectives	11	(3)
2 The Perspective of Social Science	14	(14)
Five Ways of Knowing	14	(1)
Science as a Perspective	15	(2)
Social Science as a Perspective	17	(9)
Sociology As a Perspective	18	(2)
Psychology As a Perspective	20	(1)
Commonalities and Differences Between Sociology and Psychology	21	(1)
The Perspective of Social Psychology in Psychology	22	(2)
The Perspective of Social Psychology in Sociology	24	(2)
Summary	26	(2)
3 Symbolic Interactionism As a Perspective	28	(15)
Introduction: Five Central Ideas	29	(1)
General Historical Background of Symbolic Interactionism	30	(5)
Mead and Pragmatism	31	(1)
Mead and Darwin	32	(2)
Mead and Behaviorism	34	(1)
A Contrast with Other Perspectives: Warriner	35	(1)
Shibutani: Reference Groups as Perspectives	36	(3)
Attitudes Versus Perspectives	39	(2)
Summary	41	(2)
4 The Meaning of the Symbol	43	(16)
The Nature of Reality	44	(2)
Importance of a Socially Defined Reality	45	(1)
Objects as "Social Objects"	46	(2)
The Meaning of Symbols	48	(3)
Some Types of Symbols	51	(1)
Language	52	(2)
Words Are Categories	53	(1)
Nonsymbolic Animals	54	(3)
How Animals Approach Environment	55	(1)
Symbols Versus Signs	56	(1)
Summary	57	(2)
5 The Importance of the Symbol	59	(12)
Symbols and Social Reality	60	(1)
Symbols and Human Social Life	61	(2)
Symbols and the Individual	63	(6)
Naming, Memory, Categorizing	64	(1)
Perception	64	(1)
Thinking	65	(1)
Deliberation and Problem Solving	65	(1)
Transcendence of Space and Time	66	(1)
Transcendence of One's Own Person 67 Abstract Reality	67	(1)
Creativity	68	(1)
Self-Direction	68	(1)
The Importance of Symbols: A Summary	69	(2)
6 The Nature of the Self	71	(22)
Self as a Social Object	72	(2)
Self as Social: Four Social Stages for Self-Development	74	(4)
The Preparatory Stage	75	(1)
The Play Stage	75	(1)
The Game Stage	76	(1)
The Reference Group Stage	77	(1)
Selves as Ever-Changing Social Objects	78	(1)
Self as Object	79	(1)
1. Action Toward Self: Self-Communication	80	(1)
2. Action Toward Self: Self-Perception	81	(7)
Self-Perception: Assessment of Our Own Action	81	(1)
Self-Perception: The Development of Self-Concept	82	(1)
Self-Perception: Self-Judgment	82	(4)
Self-Perception: Identity	86	(2)
3. Action Toward Self: Self-Control	88	(2)
Central Ideas about the Self	90	(1)
The "I" and the "Me"	91	(2)
7 The Human Mind	93	(11)
The Meaning of Mind: Symbolic Interaction Toward Self	94	(1)
Mind Action: Making Indications Toward Self	95	(1)
Mind Action: The Ability to Control Overt Action	96	(1)
Mind Action: The Ability to Problem Solve	97	(3)
Mind Action Is Part of All Social Interaction	100	(2)
Summary	102	(2)
8 Taking the Role of the Other	104	(12)
Imagination and Taking the Role of the Other	105	(1)
Symbols, Self, Mind, and Taking the Role of the Other	106	(1)
The Meaning of "Taking the Role of the Other"	107	(2)
Taking the Role of the Other: Significant Others, Generalized Other, and Others in the Situation	109	(2)
The Importance of Taking the Role of the Other	111	(3)
Summary	114	(2)
9 Human Action	116	(24)
The "Stream of Action"	118	(2)
The Act	120	(2)
Action, Goals, and Social Objects	122	(1)
Mead's Four Stages of the Act	123	(3)
Another Look at Mead's Four Stages of the Act	125	(1)
Locating the "Cause" of Human Action	126	(2)
The Definition of the Situation	128	(2)
Habitual Action	130	(1)
The Role of the Past in Human Action	131	(1)
The Role of the Future in Human Action	132	(1)
Action and Motives	133	(2)
Action and Emotions	135	(2)
Human Action and Free Choice	137	(1)
Summary	138	(2)
10 Social Interaction	140	(14)
The Meaning of Social Interaction	141	(3)
Social Interaction Develops Out of Social Action	141	(1)
Social Interaction Is Ongoing Social Action Among Actors	142	(2)
The General Importance of Social Interaction	144	(1)
1. Social Interaction Forms Our Basic Human Qualities	144	(1)
2. Social Interaction Is an Importance Cause of Human Action	145	(3)
3. Social Interaction Shapes Identities	148	(5)
4. Social Interaction Creates Society	153	(1)
Summary	153	(1)
11 Society	154	(20)
Two Views of Society	155	(1)
Groups, Organizations, Social Worlds, and Societies	156	(1)
1. Society Is Symbolic Interaction	157	(2)
2. Society Is Symbolic Interaction That Is Characterized by Cooperative Action	159	(3)
3. Society Is Social Interaction That Is Symbolic, That Is Characterized by Cooperation, and That Develops Culture	162	(5)
Culture Is a Shared Perspective	162	(1)
Culture Is a Generalized Other	163	(1)
Culture Maintains Society	164	(1)
Culture Is Ever-changing	165	(2)
The Meaning of Society: A Summary	167	(2)
The Individual Exists Within Many Societies	169	(2)
The Active Human Being in Society	171	(1)
Summary	172	(2)
12 Erving Goffman	174	(15)
Goffman and Symbolic Interactionism	174	(1)
Drama in Interaction	175	(4)
Impressions and Performance	175	(2)
Performance Teams	177	(1)
Reaction to Goffman's Dramaturgical View	178	(1)
The Self of Social Interaction	179	(3)
Goffman's View of Self	179	(1)
Social Control and Self	180	(2)
Rituals of Interaction	182	(3)
The Meaning of Ritual	182	(2)
The Importance of Ritual	184	(1)
The Environments of Social Interaction	185	(2)
Summary	187	(2)
13 Symbolic Interactionism: A Final Assessment	189	(28)
Symbolic Interactionism and Human Freedom: A Review	190	(2)
Symbolic Interactionism and Science	192	(4)
Symbolic Interactionism: Some Representative Studies	196	(9)
A Study of Pregnant Drug Users	196	(1)
A Study of Sam's Definition of Pain and Injury	197	(1)
A Study of Identity Formation in a Maximum-Security Prison	198	(2)
A Study of First-time Tattooees	200	(1)
A Study of Compulsive Gamblers	201	(1)
A Study of Student Anxiety: Not Studying Hegel So Much as Doing Laundry	202	(3)
Symbolic Interactionism: Some Examples of Application	205	(9)
An Understanding of Society	206	(1)
An Understanding of Racism in Society	207	(2)
An Understanding of Gender Differences	209	(2)
An Understanding of Childhood Socialization	211	(2)
Symbolic Interactionism: A View of the College Experience	213	(1)
Symbolic Interactionism: A Final Look at Application	213	(1)
The Importance of the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective	214	(2)
Summary	216	(1)
References	217	(12)
Index	229

Excerpts

Preface For many students a book entitled symbolic interactionism” might be too academic, or too much like jargon, or a forbidding mystery. To me, however, it is exactly on the money. That is because this whole book is a description of a social psychology that focuses on the importance of interaction as the basis for what individuals and societies are made of, and that interaction is always symbolic. I like symbolic interactionism because it addresses so many of the issues that are important for those people who wrestle with what the human being is and why the human being acts. It is a unique perspective in that it is part of what we call social science, yet it is very probablistic in its predictions. That is, it does not normally identify a single cause” when it understands human action. Instead, its studies focus on the history of action, the many decisions and choices people make as they act. Interaction with others is almost always important, but interaction takes us one way, then the other. It treats the human being not as a passive responder to the environment, a being who is conditioned, who is pushed around by environment and biology. Instead, people are active in their environment, determining to a great extent what they do, think, and become. Symbolic interactionism is a context within which we can understand both the uniqueness of humankind and the ways human beings are similar to to other animals. The first edition of this book attempted to fulfill a promise I made to myself in graduate school: to write a clear, organized, and interesting introduction to symbolic interaction, a perspective that seemed to have interesting ideas and studies, but did not seem to hold together. Integration of the ideas became central to this book. I hope you will find this perspective interesting, organized, and useful. This is the ninth edition. Each time I attempt to improve on what I have written before, it brings a certain humility to my work. Each time I revise I wonder hhow in the world I could ever have written what I had previously. The publisher this time chose excellent reviewers, and many of their suggestions were made. I try to update, correct errors and ambiguities, and reorganize chapters so that they make better sense. In this edition I have made changes in almost every chapter, and I have redone large parts of chapters 4 (The Meaning of Symbols), 6 (The Nature of the Self), 9 (Human Action) and 10 (Social Interaction). Because of a suggestion by a reviewer I decided to add interesting and relevant introductions to each chapter, highlighting the importance of what the chapter is. I believe this makes the book far more attractive to the student and is a good pedagogical tool. Always I try to appeal to students who think sociologically and students who are attracted to the world of ideas. This book is an attempt to contribute to the mystery of what human beings are, their essence. I dedicate this book to my wife, Susan, who continues to be my best friend and greatest supporter. Joel M. Charon Professor Emeritus Minnesota State University Moorhead