The Perspective of Symbolic Interactionism

1

"^ Repository

™^ iCAHOSiriMii irNiVFRsrrv

Introduction to a Sociological Perspective of
Symbolic Interactionism: Corrected Edition

Tsukasa Kuwabara
Maki Aburada

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the theory of Symbolic Interactionism formulated
by Herbert Blumer, from the following viewpoints:

a) How does Symbolic Interactionism explain the concept of socialization, i.e., the process
in which hominids become human beings?

b) How does Symbolic Interactionism explain the concept of Vergesellschaftung (Simmel, G.),
i.e., the process or mechanism through which people construct human society?

c) Why is human society to be considered to be a changeable process?
After careful examination, the following findings were made:

i) Blumer regards socialization as the process in which the two frameworks or perspectives
(schemes of definition and generalized roles) that have been acquired by an actor through
interactions with groups of others guide his/her interpretations/definitions.

ii) In Blumer's theory, society is seen to be possible only when each of the actors in
interactions can properly grasp the two standpoints (that of the other and one's own
standpoint in the eyes of the other) by doing a kind of self-interaction (i.e., taking into
account of taking into account; the concept taking into account of taking into account is
the famous terminology used by N. Luhmann, but it was originally formulated by Blumer
himself in 1953).

iii) Because of the nature of others (black boxness), all the actors interacting with others are

seen to be necessarily forced to revise their interpretations/definitions continually. For

this reason, society must be regarded as a changeable process.

Finally, we have tried to review critically the research method of Symbolic Interactionism (i.e.,

the approach from the standpoint of the actor) on the basis of the conception of man and society

that has been clarified in the earlier chapters of this paper. Our review provides evidence for the

two additional points listed below:

iv) in doing the approach from the standpoint of the actor, only an individual can be included
into the category of the acting unit.

v) the standpoint of the actor perceived by researchers must never be seen as the standpoint
in the raw but has to be seen as a kind of reconstruction of constructions created by
researchers.

II 8F ¥ ir * m 76 #

We finally have confirmed that testing this conception of man and society (i, ii, and iii noted
above) empirically, based on the points iv and v, would (and must) be one of our important tasks in
future.

In addition, this paper is the 'corrected'' edition of the next article: Tsukasa Kuwabara, 2001,
Introduction to a sociological perspective of Symbolic Interactionism (3)(The Summary of a doctoral
dissertation, Tohoku University) KEIZAIGAKU-RONSHU~ OF KAGOSHIMA UNIVERSITY,
54 1 .

o. mmo)m&

V*=bv9>£, i/%Zf- )V%*)->?s<D—MiM$i1~2>, ^-^- h • :/;]/- V- (Blumer, Herbert
George, 1900-1987) Oy>*'J v ^BSfMIra (Symbolic Interactionism) ff, T.^-V>Xi^

fcSMHIU ZtiKftt>Zfrttftmfr*mR^fc* &&*&**> t L/cd fc &&< ftfcftTv** 2

wtt^j «A j iSf<fNffi$ttT§^o ■*-&*>*>, a#£, r±ft»AHj «&# ») wot, j&s-

££?>#, ^iHi, filT^Ho^Kv^, 7>-^-^y>^y 7^ffi#fflUlttt U, ft?

1 http://web. archive. org/web/20101112000357/http://ecoww.leh.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/staff/kuwabara/20100918/phdl9.pdf

2 1960^ft~70^fU-3Ht"C£>, ^h^Ai^#- (1960^-75^), Y )V • i/ a y ? (-? V > - i/ a y ?), ~f

bttix&MLx%fztt£¥v)mmm±, ~&k [M^^m tmstix^&tf, ^-oa^i octree

olj- £> fitv^ (7)^, v ii ^^m±^(Dm 3 frit Kffifi-f* 7*;i/-^- 1: «£ o t^p| £ ftfc >->^U y ?

fflsf^fflir^ffi^^^v^ (gea i98i: 22-9)0

mikt Lxm-h^xhtix^ho m^\-&^x\±, xmtitm^ • \Hmmi\^i^xmm\-hh-7E^ii

^*-V£gl&Wt;:fl5t£ «£ MMj1~£#ft^J£x.^Tl^ ffif (1976: 3-4, 21, 24-5, 32, 34-5, 37-8;
1983: 37-45) &tf Wallace and Wolf (1980=1986) %&M<OZ.t Q

4 http://web. archive. org/ web/ */http://ecowww. leh.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/staff/kuwabara/doctor. htm

1. mxtteRkomm

19773 600

1931=1969a: 169-1991: 220

socialization

society

self-interaction

interaction with oneself

Blumer

1922: 36-7

Cf. 2001:81-5; 2003a: 12

p rocess of interpretation

indication

socialization

internalize

interpretation

s ocializations

roles

chemes of definition
generalized
groups of others

object

perspective

perception)
conferring of meaning

world of reality

p hysical object

social object

abstract object

world

back

talking

action
individual act
fit, adjust

impulse perception manipulation

consumation

2. ffiSftffliLTOtiS

social interaction

non-symbolic interaction
symbolic interaction

conversation of gestures
use of significant symbols

human society
r eal form
j oint action transaction

gesture
meaning

significant symbol common definition

taking into account of taking into account

A.
T. 2010:

247

Glaser and Strauss 1 964; 1965-1988; Scheff
(1967a; 1970)

2003c http://jairo.nii.ac.jp/0016/000051553

3. mxtm^tomm

w orld

object

4. w%mtw£n%Lmtm

standpoint of the actor

society as symbolic interaction

human society

black box'ness
2007: 6-7 N. Luhmann 1984-1993; 1995

A.
2008: 25-6
Glaser and Strauss 1 964: 670-1 Scheff 1 967a

Scheff 1 967b

ensitizing concept

naturalistic inquiry

continuing interaction between guiding ideas and empirical observation

empirical world
resisting talking back negative

r oot images)

standpoint of the actor

acting unit

position of the actor

10

acting unit

reconstruction of constructions

11

54 2001

I :

1977
1 999 T OURh ttp://hdl.handle.net/10097/14389

—2009 N O.0501, 0601, 0701D iscussion Papers In Economics and Sociology No.0902,

The Economic Society of Kagoshima University h ttp://jairo.nii.ac.jp/0016/00004811

2 010

7 http:

http://warp.da.ndl.goo'p/info:ndljp/pid/258347/w3xc^agoshima-u.aco'p/on_doc/infomation/kouhou/no.l6/kouki.pdf C f.
http://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/search/archivesearch/WE00-ToWE05.do
10 http://web.archive.Org/web/20110121005951/http://ecowww.leh.kagoshima-u.ac.Wstaff/kuwabara/2

http://web.archive.Org/web/20110121005951/http://ecowww.leh.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/staff/kuwabara/20100918/phdl8.jpg
C f. http://web.archive.Org/web/20110108030703/http://ecowww.leh.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/staff/kuwabara/memory.htm

2001: 16

2 001 2003a: 16 http://warp.da.ndl.go.Jp/info:ndljp/pid/258347/w3.cc.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/on_doc

/infomation/kouhou/no. 16/kuwabara.pdf 1999-2007a:

248-57 2001

1 2005 ;

2 2006b ;

3 2006c http://hdl.handle.net/10232/8982 ;

4 2009 http://opac.ndl.go.jp/recordid/000010122106/jpn

a 1997: 68-70;

b 2000c: 130-1;

c 2001 : 77-86;

d 2005=2006b=2007b=2009: 12 " 35

http://web.archive.Org/web/20110110013624/http://ecowww.leh.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/staff/kuwabara/20100918/DP

no0902.pdf [Cf. http://warp.da.ndl.go.Jp/info:ndljp/pid/258347/ir.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/bitstream/10232/4197/l/D

Pno0701.pdf

[Cf. 2007;

2 008: 60; 2010: 248] 2001

2001: 69-77

12 li

2007
[http://space.geocities.jp/isssn03890104no54/kuwabara-and-Yamaguch-2007.htmJLCf. http://sites.
google.com/site/articlesoftsukasak/15]

12

//jairo.nii.ac.jp/0016/00005149

2 008 ) 69

h ttp://jairo.nii.ac.jp/0016/00004809

1 981

1 922

2 008 ) 69

http://jairo.nii.ac.jp/0016/00004809 12

12 http://hdl.handle.net/10232/8117

13