This book offers an unprecedented, integrative account of the shape of social order on the microsocial level. Dealing with the basic dimensions of interaction, the authors examine the major factors which influence "structure" in social interaction by applying various theoretical concepts. Although the concept of "microsociology" is usually associated with symbolic interactionism, social psychology, the works of George Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman and with qualitative methodologies, this book reaches beyond interactionist theories, claiming that no single school of thought covers the different dimensions necessary for understanding the basics of microsociology. As such, the book provides something of a microsociologist's "tool kit," analyzing an array of theoretical approaches which offer the best conceptual solutions, and interpreting them in a way that is independent of their specific theoretical language. Such theoretical traditions include systems theory, conversation analysis, structuralism, the theory of knowledge and the philosophy of language. Providing a distinct, systematic and incremental approach to the subject, this book fills an important gap in sociological literature. Written in an accessible style, and offering new insights into the area of microsociology, it will appeal to students and scholars of the social sciences and to those with interests in sociology, microsociology, interactionism and sociological theory.

This book offers an unprecedented, integrative account of the shape of social order on the microsocial level. Dealing with the basic dimensions of interaction, the authors examine the major factors which influence "structure" in social interaction by applying various theoretical concepts. Although the concept of "microsociology" is usually associated with symbolic interactionism, social psychology, the works of George Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman and with qualitative methodologies, this book reaches beyond interactionist theories, claiming that no single school of thought covers the different dimensions necessary for understanding the basics of microsociology. As such, the book provides something of a microsociologist's "tool kit," analyzing an array of theoretical approaches which offer the best conceptual solutions, and interpreting them in a way that is independent of their specific theoretical language. Such theoretical traditions include systems theory, conversation analysis, structuralism, the theory of knowledge and the philosophy of language. Providing a distinct, systematic and incremental approach to the subject, this book fills an important gap in sociological literature. Written in an accessible style, and offering new insights into the area of microsociology, it will appeal to students and scholars of the social sciences and to those with interests in sociology, microsociology, interactionism and sociological theory.

Der zentrale Ansatz der Mikrosoziologie ist, dass soziale Strukturen ihr Fundament in den konkreten Handlungen konkreter Personen haben. Dabei ist die Annahme leitend, dass das, was in Interaktionen, was in unserem alltaglichen wie ausseralltaglichen Handeln in den verschiedensten Situationen geschieht, nicht zufallig, beliebig oder immer nur 'individuell' ist. Vielmehr lasst sich eine Vielzahl von Strukturen ausmachen, von Mustern, die uber die Einzigartigkeit der je konkreten Interaktionsereignisse hinausgehen. In dieser Einfuhrung wird das begriffliche Instrumentarium fur die Analyse von Prozessen der Strukturbildung in Interaktionen bereitgestellt. Es werden Aspekte behandelt, die jeder konkreten Interaktion vorgangig sind, seien es universale Mechanismen (z. B. der formalen Organisation von Interaktion), denen sich Interaktion nicht entziehen kann, seien es gesellschaftsspezifische Strukturvorgaben (z. B. Rollen und Normen), mit denen Interaktion zumindest rechnen muss (und kann).

Welche Bedeutung haben Geschlechterdifferenzierungen im Berufsfeld Familienrecht? Die Befunde zu Verteilungsdaten und Segregationseffekten, zu Berufsbiografien und Karriereverlaufen sowie zur familienrechtlichen Fallbearbeitung zeigen, dass Geschlecht als differenzierende Dimension von ubiquitarer Bedeutung ist, ohne Differenzen im klassischen Sinne deterministisch zu produzieren. "Geschlecht als konstitutives Element sozialer Strukturierung" versus "Neutralisierung und Kontextualisierung" erweisen sich als falsche Alternative und mussen in ein differenzierteres Konzept uberfuhrt werden.