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: 9780195330656
• ISBN10: 019533065X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-03-14
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The Second Edition of Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality introduces students to the symbolic interactionist perspective in sociology. This book differs from other texts on interactionism in several important respects. First, it offers a stronger empirical focus, linking discussions of the central ideas and premises of symbolic interactionism to pertinent research, including ethnographic studies conducted by each of the authors. Second, the book emphasizes topics that are inherently interesting to students, such as the dynamics of self-development, impression management, identity transformation, gender play, rumor transmission, and collective action. Third, it includes an analysis of the changing nature and experience of selfhood in contemporary society. Fourth, the authors provide a useful set of pedagogical tools at the end of each chapter, including a summary of key points and concepts, a glossary of key terms, a list of suggested readings, and questions for reflection and discussion. Finally, Symbols, Selves, and Social Reality offers a discussion of the personal relevance of symbolic interactionism, its salience for social policy, its broadening theoretical scope, and its relationship to new and increasingly prominent perspectives emerging within sociology. The new edition covers an even broader range of ideas and topics than the First Edition. It also features several updated sections and boxed inserts. These address such topics as: * The impact of postmodernity on students' experiences of self. * The dynamics of mass panics. * Status passages experienced by students. * Ethnomethodology and the construction of reality. * The necessity of language. * Internet technologies and their effects on interaction. * New methods of ethnographic analysis. * The dramatic elements of social movements. * The value and future of interactionism.

Table of Contents

In Appreciation	p. vii
About the Authors	p. viii
Introduction to Instructors	p. ix
Distinctive Features of Our Text	p. ix
New to the Second Edition	p. x
Concluding Thoughts for Instructors	p. x
The Meaning of Symbolic Interactionism	p. 1
The Origins and Development of Symbolic Interactionism	p. 2
Pragmatism and Sociology: The Contributions of George Herbert Mead	p. 4
The Emergence of Symbolic Interactionism	p. 6
Guiding Assumptions of the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective	p. 7
Methodological Traditions and Practices	p. 13
Changing Directions in Ethnographic Practice and Writing	p. 14
Alternatives to Ethnography: The Iowa School and Conventional Scientific Methods	p. 18
How Is Symbolic Interactionism Relevant and Beneficial to You?	p. 19
Understanding Agency	p. 19
Joint Action	p. 20
Summary	p. 20
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 22
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 23
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 23
People as Symbol Makers and Users: Language and the Creation of Social Reality	p. 27
Creating and Transforming Reality	p. 27
Sensation	p. 28
Conceptualization and Categorization	p. 29
Symbols, Signs, and Meanings	p. 29
The Importance of Symbols	p. 30
Naming 'Reality' and Creating Meaningful Objects	p. 31
Language, Naming, and the Construction of Reality	p. 32
The Necessity of Language	p. 37
Language, Naming, and Our Constructions of Others	p. 39
Language, Naming, and the Construction of 'Inner' Reality: Emotional Experience	p. 47
Summary	p. 50
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 52
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 53
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 54
Socialization: The Creation of Meaning and Identity	p. 57
Self-Development and the Stages of Socialization	p. 59
The Preparatory Stage	p. 62
The Play Stage	p. 62
The Game Stage	p. 63
The Emergence of the Dialectical Self: The 'I' and the 'Me'	p. 64
Refinements of Mead's Theory of Self-Development	p. 66
Socialization and the Creation of Gender Identity	p. 67
Creating Gender Identity in Early Childhood	p. 68
Re-creating Gender Identity: Preadolescent Culture and Play	p. 69
Boys and Girls Together: Learning and Maintaining Gender Boundaries	p. 73
Socialization as an Ongoing Process: Turning Points in Identity	p. 77
Passage Into Adulthood	p. 78
Turning Points and Epiphanies: The Case of HIV/AIDS	p. 80
Summary	p. 82
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 84
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 85
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 86
The Nature and Significance of the Self	p. 91
What Is the Self?	p. 92
The Self as Social Process	p. 94
The Self as Social Structure	p. 96
The Self-Concept: Its Structure and Contents	p. 97
Self-Esteem and Its Sources: Beyond the Looking-Glass Self	p. 101
The Impact of the Self-Concept	p. 103
The Self as Dramatic Effect	p. 104
Staging the Self in Everyday Life	p. 104
Regions of Self-Presentation	p. 108
The Self as Situated Identity	p. 108
Beyond Goffman: The Drama of Self Versus the Experience of Self	p. 113
The Experience of Self in Postmodern Society	p. 113
Summary	p. 117
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 118
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 119
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 120
Role Taking, Role Making, and the Coordination of Action	p. 125
Defining Situations and Their Reality	p. 125
Roles, Role Taking, and Role Making	p. 128
Role Taking	p. 128
Role Making	p. 130
The Coordination of Social Behavior: Aligning Actions	p. 132
Aligning Actions and Motive Talk	p. 132
Emotions and the Coordination of Behavior	p. 135
Emotions and Role Attachments: Role Embracement Versus Role Distance	p. 136
Power, Constraint, and the Coordination of Behavior	p. 138
Relationships, Power, and Constraint	p. 138
The Characteristics of Asymmetrical Relationships	p. 139
Social Life as a Negotiated Order	p. 141
Summary	p. 144
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 146
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 147
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 147
The Politics of Social Reality: Constructing and Negotiating Deviance	p. 151
What Is Deviance?	p. 152
The Absolutist View	p. 152
The Relativist View	p. 153
Labeling Theory and the Social Construction of Deviance	p. 154
The Banning Process: Moral Entrepreneurs and the Making of Deviance	p. 155
Rule Creators	p. 155
Rule Enforcers	p. 156
The Detection Process: Seeing Deviance and Deviants	p. 158
The Attribution Process: Imputing Motives and Negotiating Identities	p. 162
The Reaction Process: Sanctioning and Its Effects	p. 167
Challenging and Transforming Deviant Labels: Tertiary Deviance	p. 169
Limitations and Extensions of Labeling Theory	p. 171
The Construction of Social Problems	p. 173
Summary	p. 175
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 176
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 178
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 180
Collective Behavior and Social Movements	p. 183
Collective Behavior	p. 183
Riots	p. 185
Rumors	p. 187
Panics	p. 191
Social Movements	p. 193
How Do Social Movements Emerge, and Why Do People Join Them?	p. 194
Strategies and Bases of Movement Recruitment	p. 195
Ideology, Identity, and Commitment	p. 197
Frame Analysis and Alignment	p. 199
Summary	p. 202
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 204
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 205
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 206
The Value and Future of Symbolic Interactionism	p. 209
SI and Related Social Psychological Perspectives	p. 210
Dramaturgical Theory	p. 210
Exchange Theory	p. 212
Social Cognition Theory	p. 213
Ethnomethodology	p. 215
The Key Contributions and Unfinished Business of SI	p. 217
Language and Meanings	p. 217
Emotions and Emotion Work	p. 218
Self-Development and Identity Work	p. 219
Social Organization and Collective Action	p. 220
Power, Inequality, and Postmodernity	p. 221
Conclusions	p. 223
Glossary of Key Terms	p. 224
Questions for Reflection or Assignment	p. 225
Suggested Readings for Further Study	p. 225
Author Index	p. 229
Subject Index	p. 232
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