Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism

Thomas Janoski, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Sociology Department, University of Kentucky, USA

• ContentsPreface1 Introduction to Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism 2 The strengths and weaknesses of different theories ofsymbolic interactionism 3 Revisioning the generalized other in symbolic interactionisttheory 4 Balancing power and sociation in symbolic interactionism,and the creation of inequality 5 Expanding the generalized other through group position andsocial network analysis 6 Where symbolic interactionists seldom tread: social mobility,organizations, charisma, and the unconscious 7 Merging the macro- and micro-perspectives in social structure 8 Re-introducing multiple methodological approaches intosymbolic interactionist theory and research9 Conclusion: rethinking the unthinkable Afterword Bibliography

‘Thomas Janoski has long been staking out new territory for sociological theorizing, displaying a remarkable creativity, analytic acumen, and a substantive breadth that others can only envy. Drawing on his expertise in political economy and political sociology, here, Janoski returns to core issues of interaction from a fresh perspective. In this long awaited synthesis, he shows that going beyond the traditional scope of symbolic interactionist concerns does not dilute its insights, but rather brings them to fruition.’