Description
Book SynopsisCore text for the symbolic interaction course - often called “Self and Society” or “Individual and Society” – most often taught in sociology departments. Symbolic Interaction in Society offers a systematic application of symbolic interaction to everyday life. In addition to providing an overview of the theory and methods of symbolic interaction, it includes theory and research related to all of the relevant topics in sociology today: race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, social institutions, and social change. This book is written in a way that encourages students to employ symbolic interactionist concepts and principles throughout the text. Students are asked to put themselves into particular situations and consider how they would respond to the other people in that scenario. In doing so, students are able to see that human interaction is both stable and dynamic, that people can be predictable but that they also have agency, the ability to make number of decisions in a given situation. The goal is to show students the practical value of symbolic interaction for understanding their social lives today. Key features include: ·Full review of symbolic interaction concepts and theories including a discussion of the nature of society and the role of the individual in society ·Research applications of symbolic interaction examining major sociological outcomes such as inequality (race, class, gender and sexuality), deviance and mental health, social relationships, family and other social institutions, and social change ·SI Online boxes include a review of how the principles of symbolic interaction apply to the effects of the Internet and modern communications on the individual and society ·Personal Notes boxes share real student applications in which students describe how they have employed symbolic interaction in their personal lives ·Original Work features one short excerpt from a book or journal article in every chapter ·Pedagogical devices such as chapter objectives, key terms, and end of chapter key terms and critical thinking questions guide students through each chapter
Table of ContentsPreface 1 The Social Construction of Reality This Book Isn’t Real! Basic Principles Everything Is Not Relative! A Situational Approach The Construction of Society The Individual in Society Cognitive Sociology Two Schools of Symbolic Interaction Chapter Conclusion 2 Studying Symbolic Interaction Quantitative versus Qualitative Methods Verstehen Power Exploration and Inspection Studying Situations Ethnography Types of Ethnography Narrative Analysis Ethnomethodology and Natural Experiments Unobtrusive Research Going into the Field Project Planning Sampling Ethical Issues Chapter Conclusion 3 Constructing Culture Elements of Culture Statuses, Roles, and Norms Values and Beliefs American Culture American Values and Beliefs American Ideal-Type Personalities Baudrillard’s America Creating Cultures Subcultures and Idiocultures Global Culture? Cultural Change Chapter Conclusion 4 Self and Society The I, the Me, and the Self Situational Selves Self-Narratives and Possible Selves Identity Theories Identity Theory Social Identity Theory Dramaturgy Front Stage/Backstage Impressions Given/Impressions Given Off Chapter Conclusion 5 Socialization Cognitive Socialization Symbols and Language Stages of Socialization Agents of Socialization Family Peers Schools Media and Self-Socialization The Sociology of Childhood Socialization over the Life Course Our Role in History Life Stages: Presocialization to Adult Socialization Chapter Conclusion 6 Emotions, Relationships, and Society Contextualizing Emotions Dramaturgy and Emotions Emotional Scripts Emotional Socialization Relationships, Community, and Society Attraction: Starting a Relationship The Socioemotional Economy Community Relations Chapter Conclusion 7 Deviance and Mental Health Defining Normal Levels of Deviance Creating Deviance Moral Entrepreneurs Labeling and De-Labeling Primary and Secondary Deviance Deviant Subcultures Deviance over the Life Course The Myth of Mental Illness Chapter Conclusion 8 Doing Inequality Status Everywhere! Doing Difference Doing Gender Intersectionality Pride and Prejudice Categorizing Self and Other Borderwork Chapter Conclusion 9 Institutional Life The Nature of Social Institutions Institutional Types All in the Family Work and Occupations: The Economy Education Religion and Politics Institutional Intersections and Innovations Chapter Conclusion 10 Collective Behavior The Maddening Crowd Mass Hysteria Circular Reaction New Social Movements Emergent Norm Theory Value-Added Theory The Anatomy of Collective Thoughts and Behavior Collective Memory, Identity, and Imagination Collective Behaviors Chapter Conclusion References Glossary Index
