DOCSLIB.ORG

Complementar

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Complementar Symbolic Interactionism Perspective and Method HERBERT BLUMER University of California Press Berkeley Los Angeles London University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 1969 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey First Paperback Printing 1986 ISBN 0-520-05676-0 (alk. paper) Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 76-80731 Printed in the United States of America 4 5 6 7 8 9 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. © To My Daughter, Katherine Hade Preface Ihe present volume is being published in response to many requests from former students and from professional colleagues whom I have not been privileged to have as students. They have asked that I make available to them in a single book several of my articles now scattered in different publications, indicating that such an arrangement would be beneficial to them and to their students. In responding to their requests I have selected from my articles those which deal with aspects of symbolic interactionism or with methodo­ logical problems. These two areas of scholarly interest have been of major concern to me since my graduate days, when I wrote a doctoral dissertation on "Method in Social Psychology." The linking of these two concerns is not a marriage of convenience however but a genuine union. It is my conviction that an empirical science neces­ sarily has to respect the nature of the empirical world that is its object of study. In my judgment symbolic interactionism shows that respect for the nature of human group life and conduct. But that respect necessitates, in turn, the development of a methodological perspective congruent with the nature of the empirical world under study. Various of my articles, chiefly those brought together in this volume, touch in one way or another on the point of view of sym­ bolic interactionism or on methodological matters related to that point of view. I wrote each of these articles, however, for a specific purpose. Thus, even when grouped together they do not give the unified picture I have sought to present to graduate students over four decades of instruction. In a partial effort to fill this need I have prepared a lengthy introductory essay for the present volume. This essay is the only previously unpublished body of writing in the volume. I recommend that the essay be read first in order to grasp the import of any of the subsequent articles. I wish to thank those of my former students who spurred and prodded me to publish this volume. They are many, and it would be pretentious to list their names. I feel called on, however, to single out the two who have been most persistent over the years in making this request: Tamotsu Shibutani and Howard Becker. To their names I add that of my friend James Clark, formerly of Prentice- Hall, who above all has pressed me gently but unrelentingly to bring out this set of my writings. In the light of these solicitations I can honestly disclaim responsibility if the publication of the present volume becomes an unsuccessful venture. HERBERT BLUMER Berkeley, California Contents 1 THE METHODOLOGICAL POSITION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM 2 SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE THOUGHT OF GEORGE HERBERT MEAD 61 3 SOCIETY AS SYMBOLIC INTERACTION 78 4 ATTITUDES AND THE SOCIAL ACT 90 5 PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPORT OF THE HUMAN GROUP 101 6 AN APPRAISAL OF THOMAS AND ZNANIECKI'S THE POLISH PEASANT IN EUROPE AND AMERICA 117 ix 7 SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND THE "VARIABLE" 8 WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOCIAL THEORY? 140 SCIENCE WITHOUT CONCEPTS 10 THE PROBLEM OF THE CONCEPT IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 11 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE STUDY OF MASS-MEDIA EFFECTS 12 PUBLIC OPINION AND PUBLIC OPINION POLLING Symbolic Interactionism 1 The Methodological Position of Symbolic Interactionism 1 he term "symbolic interactionism" has come into use as a label for a relatively distinctive approach to the study of human group life and human conduct.* The scholars who have used the ap­ proach or contributed to its intellectual foundation are many, and include such notable American figures as George Herbert Mead, John Dewey, W. I. Thomas, Robert E. Park, William James, Charles Horton Cooley, Florian Znaniecki, James Mark Baldwin, Robert Redfield, and Louis Wirth. Despite significant differences in the thought of such scholars, there is a great similarity in the general way in which they viewed and studied human group life. The con­ cept of symbolic interactionism is built around this strand of general similarity. There has been no clear formulation of the position of symbolic interactionism, and above all, a reasoned statement of the methodological position of this approach is lacking. This essay is an effort to develop such a statement. I rely chiefly on the thought of George Herbert Mead who, above all others, laid the foundations of the symbolic interactionist approach, but I have been compelled to develop my own version, dealing explicitly with many crucial mat­ ters that were only implicit in the thought of Mead and others, and * The term "symbolic interactionism" is a somewhat barbaric neologism that I coined in an offhand way in an article written in MAN AND SOCIETY (Emerson P. Schmidt, ed. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1937). The term somehow caught on and is now in general use. covering critical topics with which they were not concerned. Thus, to a major extent I must bear full responsibility for the views and analyses presented here. This is especially true of my treatment of methodology; the discussion of this topic is solely my own. My scheme of treatment is first to outline the nature of symbolic inter- actionism, next to identify the guiding principles of methodology in the case of empirical science, and finally to deal specifically with the methodological position of symbolic interactionism. THE NATURE OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM Symbolic interactionism rests in the last analysis on three simple premises. The first premise is that human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings that the things have for them. Such things include everything that the human being may note in his world—physical objects, such as trees or chairs; other human beings, such as a mother or a store clerk; categories of human beings, such as friends or enemies; institutions, as a school or a government; guiding ideals, such as individual independence or honesty; activi­ ties of others, such as their commands or requests; and such situ­ ations as an individual encounters in his daily life. The second premise is that the meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of, the social interaction that one has with one's fellows. The third premise is that these meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretative process used by the person in dealing with the things he encounters. I wish to discuss briefly each of these three fundamental premises. It would seem that few scholars would see anything wrong with the first premise—that human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings which these things have for them. Yet, oddly enough, this simple view is ignored or played down in j ractically all of the thought and work in contemporary social science and psycho­ logical science. Meaning is either taken for granted and thus pushed aside as unimportant or it is regarded as a mere neutral link between the factors responsible for human behavior and this behavior as the product of such factors. We can see this clearly in the predominant posture of psychological and social science today. Common to both of these fields is the tendency to treat human behavior as the prod- THE METHODOLOGICAL POSITION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTION ISM uct of various factors that play upon human beings; concern is with the behavior and with the factors regarded as producing them. Thus, psychologists turn to such factors as stimuli, attitudes, con­ scious or unconscious motives, various kinds of psychological inputs, perception and cognition, and various features of personal organiza­ tion to account for given forms or instances of human conduct. In a similar fashion sociologists rely on such factors as social position, status demands, social roles, cultural prescriptions, norms and values, social pressures, and group affiliation to provide such explanations. In both such typical psychological and sociological explanations the meanings of things for the human beings who are acting are either bypassed or swallowed up in the factors used to account for their behavior. If one declares that the given kinds of behavior are the result of the particular factors regarded as producing them, there is no need to concern oneself with the meaning of the things toward which human beings act; one merely identifies the initiating factors and the resulting behavior. Or one may, if pressed, seek to accom­ modate the element of meaning by lodging it in the initiating factors or by regarding it as a neutral link intervening between the initiating factors and the behavior they are alleged to produce. In the first of these latter cases the meaning disappears by being merged into the initiating or causative factors; in the second case meaning becomes a mere transmission link that can be ignored in favor of the initiating factors. The position of symbolic interactionism, in contrast, is that the meanings that things have for human beings are central in their own right. To ignore the meaning of the things toward which people act is seen as falsifying the behavior under study. To bypass the mean­ ing in favor of factors alleged to produce the behavior is seen as a grievous neglect of the role of meaning in the formation of behavior.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Blumer's Symbolic Interactionism: Methodological Implications
    University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 1-1-1971 Blumer's symbolic interactionism: Methodological implications. Jan Spurway Marks University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Marks, Jan Spurway, "Blumer's symbolic interactionism: Methodological implications." (1971). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 6691. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/6691 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. - BLUMER'S SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM: METHODOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS A THESIS 'SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR JAN SPURWAY MARKS UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR 1971 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EC53094 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
    [Show full text]
  • Studying “Going Concerns”: Everett C. Hughes on Method by Rick Helmes-Hayes Doi: 10.2383/32714
    Il Mulino - Rivisteweb Rick Helmes-Hayes Studying ”Going Concerns”: Everett Hughes On Method (doi: 10.2383/32714) Sociologica (ISSN 1971-8853) Fascicolo 2, maggio-giugno 2010 Ente di afferenza: () Copyright c by Societ`aeditrice il Mulino, Bologna. Tutti i diritti sono riservati. Per altre informazioni si veda https://www.rivisteweb.it Licenza d’uso L’articolo `emesso a disposizione dell’utente in licenza per uso esclusivamente privato e personale, senza scopo di lucro e senza fini direttamente o indirettamente commerciali. Salvo quanto espressamente previsto dalla licenza d’uso Rivisteweb, `efatto divieto di riprodurre, trasmettere, distribuire o altrimenti utilizzare l’articolo, per qualsiasi scopo o fine. Tutti i diritti sono riservati. Flashback Studying “Going Concerns”: Everett C. Hughes On Method by Rick Helmes-Hayes doi: 10.2383/32714 What principles shall guide us in the discovery of men’s secrets; what, in the telling of them? [Hughes 1971 [1956], 431] xIntroduction In North America, during the middle decades of the Twentieth century, the work of Everett Hughes (1897-1983) was central to a wide range of disciplinary sub- specialities, including race and ethnic relations, work and occupations, and educa- tion. Beginning in the early 1970s, he became subject to considerable critical atten- tion from US scholars eager to examine his legacy [Baker 1976; Becker et al. 1968; Burns 1980; Coser 1994; Daniels 1972; Faught 1980; Fielding 2005; Heath 1984; Holmstrom 1984; Reinharz 1995; Riesman 1983; Riesman and Becker 1984; Simpson 1972; Strauss 1996; Weiss 1997]. In Europe, by contrast, Hughes had no such pro- file. Only after his death in 1983, in the context of a growing, if belated, interest in the general legacy of the Chicago School [see Rémy and Voyé 1974; Grafmeyer and Joseph [eds.] 1979], did French and, now, Italian scholars begin to pay appreciat- ive attention to his work [Hannerz 1983; Peneff 1984; Winkin 1988; Coulon 1992; Sociétés Contemporaines 27 [juillet] 1997, entire issue; Wax 2000; Chapoulie 2001].
    [Show full text]
  • Symbolic Interactionism from Theoretical Origin to the Role of Social Interaction and International Integration
    British Journal of English Linguistics Vol.7, No.5, pp.18-24, November 2019 Published by ECRTD-UK Print ISSN: 2055-6063(Print), Online ISSN: 2055-6071(Online) SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM FROM THEORETICAL ORIGIN TO THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AND INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION Nhac Phan Linh1 1 Ph.D, Vietnam Institute of Workers and Trade Unions, [email protected] ABSTRACTS: Weighting scale symbolizes justice. Heart symbolizes love. Pigeons symbolize peace. All these ideas are formed through the common symbolic system of humankind, transcending barriers of language, culture, ethnicity, competence and qualifications. They become tools for the formation of social interactions between individuals, communities, within a country or internationally. KEY WORDS: symbolic interactionism, theoretical origin, social interaction, international integration. INTRODUCTION History of formation and development process of Symbolic Interactionism in the world Symbol is an ancient form of “sign”, considered as a tool of thought in the cognitive process of humanity. Therefore, the theoretical premise of Symbolic interactionism also has an ancient origin, directly linked to the development of human cognitive thinking and value system, both in the East and West. So far, the majors of symbolism such as Semiotics, Icon Anthropology have been recognized as an independent science subject with specific training contents at many major universities in the world such as Columbia, Indiana, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Stanford, Hawaii in the US, Toronto, McGill, Western Ontario in Canada, Tartu in Estonia, Helsinki in Finland, etc.1 An outstanding feature of the symbolic scientific research is that the interdiciplinary approach has become a mandatory path.2 Therefore, this paper focuses on the theoretical interactionism focusing on three angles (1) Cultural studies, (2) Semiotics associated with Linguistics; and (3) Sociology.
    [Show full text]
  • Symbolic Interactionism Mark V
    English Technical Reports and White Papers English 2015 Symbolic Interactionism Mark V. Redmond Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/engl_reports Part of the Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons Recommended Citation Redmond, Mark V., "Symbolic Interactionism" (2015). English Technical Reports and White Papers. 4. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/engl_reports/4 This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the English at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Technical Reports and White Papers by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Symbolic Interactionism Communication Context Interpersonal, Small Group, Cultural. Questions It Addresses in Our Every Day Lives: 1. How our interactions with others affect our sense of self. 2. The importance of symbols/language to society. 3. Where our mind and humanness comes from. Theory in a Nutshell ● We acquire symbols from interactions with society/other people. ● Acquiring symbols allows us to develop a sense of self and a mind (we think by way of symbols). ● Societies exist because people are able to interact with each another through symbols. Visualization of Symbolic Interaction Theory Mind Symbol Self Society “Symbols include words and many objects, and almost all acts around others contain a symbolic element. Words are the most important symbols, making human thinking possible.” Joel M. Charon (2007, p. 58). Introduction and Overview Let’s start with a simple definition of what a symbol is. A symbol is a stimuli that is abstract and arbitrary to which meaning is applied.
    [Show full text]
  • Equality As a Social Construction
    1 Equality as a Social Construction The goal of this book is to conceptualize a “radical” way of studying equality in social life: an interactionist, interpretive approach. The book is not “radical” in the sense of espousing an explicit political position, but because it attempts to go to the “root” of equality, to understand how and why equality and inequality are experienced features of the world. My thesis is that equality is not an independent, objective, or self- evident characteristic but is a socially constructed phenomenon. By (1) synthesizing the theoretical perspectives of Herbert Blumer, Alfred Schutz, Harold Garfinkel, and John Dewey, (2) critically reviewing and analyzing a portion of the literature on equality, and (3) conducting a focused inquiry on the issue of equality, my book challenges conven- tional understandings of equality and attempts to demonstrate the utility of an interactionist approach to the subject. TRADITIONAL AND INTERACTIONIST APPROACHES TO STUDYING EQUALITY Generally, sociological treatment of the concept “equality” has taken four forms. First, sociologists have attempted to conceptualize and opera- tionalize equality in a clear, logical, and rational manner. Such efforts are based on the reasonable belief that the quality of their work on equality depends upon whether the concept is carefully defined and measured. Second, sociologists have attempted to determine whether (or to what degree) equality exists in a situation, and to identify those factors that 1 © 2006 State University of New York Press, Albany 2THE MEANINGS OF MARITAL EQUALITY promote or inhibit equality. The central goal here has been to discover what variables are requisite to equal or unequal states of affairs.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Psychology - J
    HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THEORETICAL APPROACHES IN SOCIOLOGY – Vol. I - Social Psychology - J. David Knottnerus SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY J. David Knottnerus Department of Sociology, Oklahoma State University, USA Keywords: Behaviorism, Cognitive consistency, Emotions, Ethnomethodology, Everyday Life, Expectation States Theory (EST), Identity, Interaction Order, Pragmatism (American), Presentation of Self, Symbolic interaction, Social dilemmas, Social exchange, Total Institution Contents 1. Introduction 2. History of Social Psychology 3. Symbolic Interaction 4. Theories of Everyday Life 5. Social Exchange Theory 6. Expectation States Theory 7. Other Research and Theoretical Approaches 8. Other Areas of Interest 9. Prospects for the 21st Century Acknowledgements Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketch Summary The historical and professional development of Sociological Social Psychology is described, with attention given to particular accomplishments from mid-century to the present. Then several of the more recent perspectives that contribute to the growth of social psychology are discussed such as symbolic interaction, social exchange theory, expectation states theory, and theories of everyday life. Additional research, theoretical approaches, and issues are also identified. Finally, prospects for the future of Social Psychology are forecast. 1. IntroductionUNESCO – EOLSS While social psychology has played a vital role in sociology during the twentieth century the natureSAMPLE of this role has changed throughCHAPTERS the years. Earlier in the century social psychology was viewed by many as a separate body of research distinct from other more accepted parts of sociology. Today, however, this field occupies a much more central role in the discipline increasingly interconnected with other areas of sociological research. In this article the nature and history of social psychology will be addressed with special attention to key developments within this area especially in recent decades.
    [Show full text]
  • Centennial Bibliography on the History of American Sociology
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Department, Faculty Publications Sociology, Department of 2005 Centennial Bibliography On The iH story Of American Sociology Michael R. Hill [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Hill, Michael R., "Centennial Bibliography On The iH story Of American Sociology" (2005). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 348. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/348 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Department, Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Hill, Michael R., (Compiler). 2005. Centennial Bibliography of the History of American Sociology. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association. CENTENNIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN SOCIOLOGY Compiled by MICHAEL R. HILL Editor, Sociological Origins In consultation with the Centennial Bibliography Committee of the American Sociological Association Section on the History of Sociology: Brian P. Conway, Michael R. Hill (co-chair), Susan Hoecker-Drysdale (ex-officio), Jack Nusan Porter (co-chair), Pamela A. Roby, Kathleen Slobin, and Roberta Spalter-Roth. © 2005 American Sociological Association Washington, DC TABLE OF CONTENTS Note: Each part is separately paginated, with the number of pages in each part as indicated below in square brackets. The total page count for the entire file is 224 pages. To navigate within the document, please use navigation arrows and the Bookmark feature provided by Adobe Acrobat Reader.® Users may search this document by utilizing the “Find” command (typically located under the “Edit” tab on the Adobe Acrobat toolbar).
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    Volume 17, No. 2, Art. 12 May 2016 Ways of Telling About Society Howard S. Becker in Conversation With Reiner Keller Key words: Abstract: In the following conversation, Howard S. BECKER talks about his lifelong travel with and Chicago sociology; between sociology and jazz music, his professional training as a sociologist, the hazards of a field work; career, and his involvement with photography and performance. He reflects on the different ways photography; used by artists and sociologists to tell solid stories about social phenomena, and tells a compelling performance; art; account in its own right about the methodology of sound sociological field work and case study labeling theory; research. By explaining core concepts of his sociological perspective (such as the concept of methodology; labeling and "doing things together") and referring to concrete research examples, BECKER in all doing things modesty fully engages with what could be called today's sociological imagination, leaving narrow together; social disciplinary constraints behind in order to explore society with curiosity, using methodologically worlds; symbolic sensible but nevertheless refreshing approaches. interactionism; case design The audio file is accessible from http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.49829. Table of Contents 1. Writing Notes/Playing Notes 2. "Meet Me in Kansas City Tomorrow" 3. "Twenty-Eight Percent" 4. Photography 5. Data, Evidence, Ideas 6. Doing and Undoing Things Together 7. No Chicago School! 8. Telling About Sociology References Authors Citation Biographical Note1 Howard S. BECKER, born in Chicago in 1928, is among the major figures of international contemporary sociology. Throughout his life, doing sociology and (playing) jazz music have been closely related.
    [Show full text]
  • G. H. Mead in the History of Sociological Ideas
    Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 42(1), 19–39 Winter 2006 Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002 /jhbs.20136 © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. G. H. MEAD IN THE HISTORY OF SOCIOLOGICAL IDEAS FILIPE CARREIRA DA SILVA My aim is to discuss the history of the reception of George Herbert Mead’s ideas in soci- ology. After discussing the methodological debate between presentism and historicism, I address the interpretations of those responsible for Mead’s inclusion in the sociological canon: Herbert Blumer, Jürgen Habermas, and Hans Joas. In the concluding section, I as- sess these reconstructions of Mead’s thought and suggest an alternative more consistent with my initial methodological remarks. In particular, I advocate a reconstruction of Mead’s ideas that apprehends simultaneously its evolution over time and its thematic breadth. Such a historically minded reconstruction can be not only a useful corrective to possible anachronisms incurred by contemporary social theorists, but also a fruitful re- source for their theory-building endeavors. Only then can meaningful and enriching dia- logue with Mead begin. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. SOCIOLOGY AND THE HISTORY OF IDEAS This article argues that George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) should be treated as a soci- ological classic. This assertion, however, requires justification. In effect, beyond the sociohis- torical nature of the canon-formation process (which is dealt with later in the article), a justi- fication of the above assertion has to take into consideration three different dimensions, which can be formulated as three correlated questions. Hence, if one wishes to study Mead as a clas- sic, one has to ask: “What is a classic?” “What are the functions that a classic fulfills?” and “How should such writings be analyzed?” A number of possible answers can be given to the first question.
    [Show full text]
  • Anomie: Concept, Theory, Research Promise
    Anomie: Concept, Theory, Research Promise Max Coleman Oberlin College Sociology Department Senior Honors Thesis April 2014 Table of Contents Dedication and Acknowledgements 3 Abstract 4 I. What Is Anomie? Introduction 6 Anomie in The Division of Labor 9 Anomie in Suicide 13 Debate: The Causes of Desire 23 A Sidenote on Dualism and Neuroplasticity 27 Merton vs. Durkheim 29 Critiques of Anomie Theory 33 Functionalist? 34 Totalitarian? 38 Subjective? 44 Teleological? 50 Positivist? 54 Inconsistent? 59 Methodologically Unsound? 61 Sexist? 68 Overly Biological? 71 Identical to Egoism? 73 In Conclusion 78 The Decline of Anomie Theory 79 II. Why Anomie Still Matters The Anomic Nation 90 Anomie in American History 90 Anomie in Contemporary American Society 102 Mental Health 120 Anxiety 126 Conclusions 129 Soldier Suicide 131 School Shootings 135 III. Looking Forward: The Solution to Anomie 142 Sociology as a Guiding Force 142 Gemeinschaft Within Gesellschaft 145 The Religion of Humanity 151 Final Thoughts 155 Bibliography 158 2 To those who suffer in silence from the pain they cannot reveal. Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Professor Vejlko Vujačić for his unwavering support, and for sharing with me his incomparable sociological imagination. If I succeed as a professor of sociology, it will be because of him. I am also deeply indebted to Émile Durkheim, who first exposed the anomic crisis, and without whom no one would be writing a sociology thesis. 3 Abstract: The term anomie has declined in the sociology literature. Apart from brief mentions, it has not featured in the American Sociological Review for sixteen years. Moreover, the term has narrowed and is now used almost exclusively to discuss deviance.
    [Show full text]
  • Boys in White: Um Clássico Da Pesquisa Qualitativa Completa Cinquenta Anos
    Boys in white: um clássico da pesquisa qualitativa completa cinquenta anos NUNES, Everardo Duarte; BARROS, Nelson Filice de. Boys in white: um clássico da pesquisa qualitativa completa cinquenta anos. História, Ciências, Saúde – Manguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, v.21, n.4, out.-dez. 2014, p.1179-1196. Resumo O artigo analisa o livro Boys in white: student culture in medical school, de Boys in white: um clássico Howard S. Becker, Blanche Geer, Everett C. Hughes e Anselm Strauss, considerado da pesquisa qualitativa um dos modelos de pesquisa qualitativa em sociologia. A análise aborda as completa cinquenta anos trajetórias dos autores, do livro, da pesquisa qualitativa e dos estudantes de medicina, enfatizando sua importância Boys in white: a classic of nas origens da sociologia médica e da sociologia da educação médica. Na qualitative research turns 50 trajetória dos autores são apresentados aspectos biobibliográficos; na da pesquisa qualitativa, o modo como essa metodologia de investigação atravessa a construção do trabalho de campo; e na dos estudantes, sua forma de atravessar os primeiros anos da escola médica e construir sua própria “cultura do estudante”. Palavras-chave: Boys in white; estudante de medicina; pesquisa qualitativa; sociologia médica; sociologia da educação médica. Abstract This article analyzes Boys in white: student culture in medical school by Howard S. Becker, Blanche Geer, Everett C. Hughes and Anselm Strauss, considered a model of qualitative research in sociology. Everardo Duarte Nunes The analysis investigates the trajectories of the authors, the book, qualitative analysis, Professor, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas/ Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). and the medical students, emphasizing Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo, 126 their importance in the origins of medical 13083-887 – Campinas – SP – Brasil sociology and the sociology of medical [email protected] education.
    [Show full text]
  • Shifting Realities: Tron Cyberspace and the “New” Consciousness in 21St Century Technoscapes Efthimiou, Olivia
    Journal of Conscious Evolution Volume 8 Article 3 Issue 8 Issue 08/2012 June 2018 Shifting Realities: Tron Cyberspace and the “New” Consciousness in 21st Century Technoscapes Efthimiou, Olivia Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/cejournal Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Liberal Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons, and the Transpersonal Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Efthimiou, Olivia (2018) "Shifting Realities: Tron Cyberspace and the “New” Consciousness in 21st Century Technoscapes," Journal of Conscious Evolution: Vol. 8 : Iss. 8 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/cejournal/vol8/iss8/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Newsletters at Digital Commons @ CIIS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conscious Evolution by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ CIIS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Shifting Realities: Tron Cyberspace and the “New” Consciousness i Tron Journal of Conscious Evolution Issue 8, 2012 Shifting Realities: Tron Cyberspace and the “New” Consciousness in 21st Century Technoscapes Olivia Efthimiou1 ABSTRACT The existing direction of the (mis)use of information technologies founded on the deceptively secular rationalised heritage of scientism, arguably spells the increasing proximity to a dystopian nightmare that is far from mere fiction and imbued with the eternal religious symbolic of the battle between good and evil, as depicted in the 2010 science fiction film Tron: Legacy.
    [Show full text]