Author Description

Essays in Interactionist Sociology contains a selection of contributions, spanning five decades, that advance the theory, organization, and research of the interactionist tradition. Harvey A. Farberman, professor emeritus of social welfare policy at Stony Brook University, wrote the fourteen essays, twelve of which were published in academic journals or annuals and two that are original to this volume. Each one focuses on some aspect of the theory of symbolic interactionist sociology, the professional and organizational development of the interactionist perspective, or empirical studies inspired by the perspective. The author highlights the emergence of the perspective from the philosophy of American Pragmatism, paying particular attention to the contributions of Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. He also examines what may be called refractions of the perspective. The latter part of the book contains four studies. Personalization in Lower Class Consumer Interactions; A Criminogenic Market Structure: The Automobile Industry; Fantasy in Everyday Life: The Intersection of Social Psychology and Political Economy; and Family Caregiving to Elders in New York State. In many ways, the essays in this volume contribute to and reflect the development of interactionist sociology as it grew from an American innovation to a robust, international social science discipline.