Symbolic interactionism and the concept of power
Symbolic interactionism and the concept of power
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1468-4446.2005.00055.x
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发表时间：
2005-06-01
影响因子：
2.1
通讯作者：
Martin, PJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dennis, A;Martin, PJ
符号互动主义通常被表示为一种受限于社会组织“微观”方面的观点。因此，它据称无法充分概念化“宏观”现象，如社会结构、不平等模式和权力。这种观点经常出现在本科教科书中。本文通过对权力概念的思考来反驳这种观点。我们认为，相互作用论的研究传统确实表现出对权力现象的基本关注，根据社会学的理论发展，对这一概念的重新考虑是及时的。对文化分析的日益关注，福柯的持续影响，女权主义观点的发展，以及围绕新韦伯思想的新兴共识，都有助于对互动主义者很久以前探索的主题重新产生兴趣。作为例子，我们建议，越轨行为和教育领域的互动主义研究首先关注的是结果性身份的权威强加，即权力在现实情境中被制定和制度化的社会过程。这样的发展导致一些人认为，互动主义现在已经被纳入社会学的主流。然而，我们的结论是，这样一种观点冒着赋予正统社会学思想合法性的风险，这种合法性在分析上是没有根据的，而且没有认识到符号互动主义思想的替代理论和哲学基础。
Symbolic interactionism is often represented as a perspective which is limited by its restriction to 'micro' aspects of social organization. As such, it is allegedly unable to adequately conceptualize 'macro' phenomena such as social structure, patterns of inequality, and power. Such a view is routinely presented in undergraduate textbooks. This paper contests such a view through a consideration of the concept of power. We argue that the interactionist research tradition does show a fundamental concern with power phenomena, and that a reconsideration of the concept is timely in light of theoretical developments in sociology more generally. An increasing concern with the analysis of culture, the continuing influence of Foucault, the development of feminist perspectives, and the emerging consensus around neo-Weberian thought have all contributed to a renewal of interest in themes long ago explored by interactionists. As examples we suggest that interactionist studies in the fields of deviance and education have been concerned above all with the authoritative imposition of consequential identities, i.e., with the social processes through which power is enacted and institutionalized in real situations. Such developments have led some to argue that interactionism has now been incorporated into the mainstream of sociology. We conclude, however, by arguing that such a view runs the risk of granting to orthodox sociological thought a legitimacy which is analytically unwarranted, and which fails to recognize the alternative theoretical and philosophical foundations of symbolic interactionist thought.