Chapter 1 (Part 2 of 2) Key Terms: Symbolic Interactionism and New Theoretical Approaches

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, theorists, schools, and methods described in Chapters 1–6 notes. Each card presents a term and a concise definition for exam preparation.

Symbolic Interactionism

A micro‑level sociological perspective that sees social life as produced and reproduced through face‑to‑face interactions using language and symbols; meanings are negotiated and can change through interaction.

George Herbert Mead

Foundational figure linking psychology and sociology; argued that mind and self arise from social processes and that language is essential to thinking about the self.

Albion Small

Head of the early sociology department at the University of Chicago who recruited scholars to form the Chicago School.

Chicago School of Sociology

Group at the University of Chicago in the 1920s focused on micro‑level, field-based research (interviews and observations) in urban settings.

Robert Park

Prominent member of the Chicago School known for urban sociology and ground‑level sociological research.

W. I. Thomas

Early Chicago School sociologist; contributed to the development of urban community studies and interactionist approaches.

Charles Horton Cooley

Chicago School sociologist who contributed to the group’s theoretical development.

Herbert Blumer

Sociologist who helped name and articulate symbolic interactionism and linked it to Mead’s ideas.

Max Weber

Influenced Chicago sociologists with emphasis on field‑based, interpretive understanding of social action; promoted the ‘proper attitude’ in fieldwork.

Pragmatism

Philosophical approach by William James and John Dewey; truth is what works and knowledge arises from practical problem solving in everyday life.

William James

Founder of pragmatism; truth evaluated by usefulness in concrete life.

John Dewey

Pragmatist philosopher who linked education and experience to adaptive action in daily life.

Language (Mead)

Medium through which thought and self develop; Mead claimed there is no mind without language and language is a product of social interaction.

Dramaturgy

Goffman’s metaphor of social life as theatrical performance, with impression management on a front stage and backstage.

Erving Goffman

Sociologist who analyzed everyday life using dramaturgy to show how people present themselves.

Harold Garfinkel

Founder of ethnomethodology, studying the background knowledge people rely on in everyday interactions.

Ethnomethodology

Study of the folk methods and background knowledge that sustain a shared sense of reality in everyday life.

Conversation Analysis

Method of studying naturally occurring talk to understand how social meaning is produced turn‑by‑turn in interactions.

Hull House

Settlement house founded by Jane Addams in Chicago to aid immigrants and the poor; a hallmark of applied sociology.

Jane Addams

Pioneer in sociology and social activism; Hull House founder; helped found the NAACP and the ACLU; Nobel Peace Prize recipient (1931).

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; civil rights organization co‑founded by Du Bois.

ACLU

American Civil Liberties Union; civil liberties organization co‑founded by Jane Addams.

W. E. B. Du Bois

Pioneering Black sociologist focusing on race relations; first African American PhD from Harvard; co‑founded the NAACP; major influence on race studies.

Postmodernism

Late‑20th‑century perspective questioning universal truths; emphasizes relativity, fragmentation, mini‑narratives, deconstruction; associated with Derrida and Baudrillard.

Derrida

French philosopher associated with postmodern thought and deconstruction.

Baudrillard

French sociologist/philosopher associated with postmodernism, known for concepts like simulacra and simulation.

Hip Hop (as postmodern example)

Illustrates postmodern hybridity and sampling, where past genres are remixed into new forms.

Midrange Theory

A theory style proposed by Merton: aims to bridge micro and macro by connecting empirical data to broader theories; promotes cumulative knowledge.

Modernism

Historical and ideological stance valuing science, universal truths, and progress; often contrasted with postmodernism.

Structural Functionalism

Macro theory focusing on how social institutions function to maintain stability and order; distinguishes manifest and latent functions.

Conflict Theory

Macro theory viewing social life as shaped by competition, power, and inequality; emphasizes material conditions and group conflict as drivers of change.