Interactionism
- Paul Atkinson - Cardiff University, UK
- William Housley - Cardiff University, UK
Sociological Theory
What is symbolic interactionism? This refreshing and authoritative book provides readers with:
· A guide to the essential thinking, research and concepts in interactionism
· A demonstration of the use of the interactionist approach
· An explaination of why the interactionist influence has not been fully acknowledged in Britain.
The authors argue that few sociologists in Britain have identified themselves with symbolic interactionism, even though many have engaged with interactionist ideas in their research and methodological work. We are all interactionists now, in the sense that many of the key ideas of interactionism have become part of the mainstream of sociological thought. Currently fashionable approaches to sociology display a kind of collective amnesia. A good deal of today's ideas that are presented as 'novel' or 'innovative' only appear so because earlier contributions - interactionism among them - are not explicitly acknowledged.
'I found this book very exciting. Not only does it provide a good charting of the history of symbolic interactionist thought, it also provides an important and intriguing account of recent British sociology. Atkinson and Housley are excellent guides and this will prove a useful and timely book' - Ken Plummer, Professor of Sociology, University of Essex
This is a useful book for anyone engaged in methodology of an interactional nature. Although niche, this book does offer useful insights.
