Symbolic Interactionism as an Understated Sociology

Symbolic interactionism is an unusual sociology whose vision, style, methods and accompanying social organisation display common qualities. It is unusual because it suppresses those arguments and conventions which would make it systematic and readily communicable. Instead of clearly announcing its principles and techniques, it resorts to understatement and covert argument. By orthodox sociological standards it lacks many of the features which characterise a substantial and serious approach. It is commonly regarded as a disordered and incoherent posture. Such understatement and incoherence are assumed to signify a want of discipline and rigour. The general theme of this book will be that interactionism is the outcome of a scholarly rejection of ordinary scholarly pursuits. There is a reasoned refusal to entertain certain forms of intellectual practice. The particular theme of this chapter is the nature and effects of the peculiar social organisation which promotes that rejection. Attention will be directed at the integrated world which engendered the sociology and at the culture which that world supported. It will be argued that there has been an interplay between the community of interactionists and the ideas of interactionism itself. Flowing from an intimate association between sociologists, interactionism is framed by an unstated context of meanings and intentions. In its turn, that unstated context requires an intimate association for its survival.

Argument (complex analysis) · Context (archaeology) · Covert · Epistemology · Interactionism · Social science · Sociology · Symbolic interactionism · Theme (computing) · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Philosophy