Interactionism, Symbolic

Dennis, AJ and Smith, GWH ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9496-434X 2015, 'Interactionism, Symbolic' , in: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, , Elsevier, Oxford, pp. 352-356.

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Abstract

Symbolic interactionism (SI) is a distinctive sociological perspective that stresses the analytic centrality of investigating the meanings people give to their activities. Originating in US pragmatist philosophy and its uptake by staff and graduate students working at the University of Chicago, it developed a strongly empirical approach to social life that significantly influenced a number of substantive sociological fields, including crime and deviance, education, health and illness, organizations and work. The article elaborates SI's theoretical and methodological implications, examines its relationship to other approaches, assesses the main lines of criticism directed toward it, and describes recent developments in the field.

Item Type:	Book Section
Schools:	Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Applied Research in Health, Welfare and Policy
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISBN:	9780080970868
Funders:	This publication was not supported by external funding
Depositing User:	GWH Smith
Date Deposited:	09 Dec 2015 16:48
Last Modified:	27 Aug 2021 23:24
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/37461

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