English
1986
ISBN: 0520056760
PDF
pages: 219
Herbert Blumer's Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method is an essential read for any student/teacher of sociology or the social sciences/humanities. Written in 1969 Blumer's book was and still is the cornerstone of symbolic interactionism and exemplifies the philosopy of the 'Chicago School' of social science. Blumer expands on philosopher and social psychologist George Herbert Mead's highly illuminating work 'Mind, Self and Society' which was published in 1934. Blumer went on to coin the term symbolic interactionism in 1937. With this book Blumer emphasises the sociological implications of Mead's work most importantly the importance of the self conscious social actor and how he 'defines his situation' and acts accordingly due to his possession of 'self'. The human social actor for Blumer is not merely a product of the structural elements of his/her society but how s/he actively shapes their environment. Thus Society for Blumer is not the product of structural factors such as society's institutions, social conflict or consensus, or other deterministic factors. Society is comprised of many social actors all involved in the process of interaction and how each person is 'reflexive' in their own 'definition of the situation'. Blumer states that symbolic interactionism rests on three simple premises. Firstly that human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings the things have for them. Meanings and objects become of central relevance when viewed from Blumer's perspective rather than taken for granted or pushed aside as is the case with conventional sociology and psychology. Secondly meanings of such things occurs through social interaction that is we only recognise a chair for example as a place to sit because we are taught this through interaction with others.
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