In this compendium of related and cross-referential essays,
David R. Maines draws from pragmatist/symbolic interactionist
assumptions to formulate a consistent new view of the entire field
of sociology. Suitable for courses in social theory, qualitative
methods, social psychology, and narrative inquiry, this volume will
change the way the general public looks at interpretive
sociology.
This book is organized as an expression of the centrality of
interactionism to general sociology. Each chapter is designed to
articulate this view of the field. Symbolic interactionism, the way
Maines has come to understand and use it, is essentially the
concerted application of pragmatist principles of philosophy to
social inquiry.
There are four basic elements to this characterization. First,
people transform themselves: people are self-aware beings who
reflexively form their conduct and thus are capable of adjusting
their lines of action and creating new ones. Second, people
transform their social worlds: human action takes place in contexts
of situations and social worlds. People can modify the social
matrices in which they act, and thus people are agents of change.
Third, people engage in social dialogue: communication is generic
and is at the heart of both stability and change. A fourth element
is that people respond to and deal with their transformations.
Humans construct situations and societies; they establish social
structures and cultures. These are the consequences of human action
and, once formed, they reflexively function to direct and channel
conduct.
Maines argues that when people do things together they can
create enduring group formations, such as divisions of labor, rules
for inheritance, wage-labor relations, or ideologies. These are
instances of group characteristics that influence human conduct and
indeed are not reducible to the traits of individuals making up the
group or society.
General
Imprint: |
AldineTransaction
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Sociological Imagination & Structural Change Series |
Release date: |
July 2001 |
First published: |
2001 |
Authors: |
David Maines
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 22mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
307 |
Edition: |
New |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-202-30646-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Sociology, social studies >
General
|
LSN: |
0-202-30646-1 |
Barcode: |
9780202306469 |
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