Sociology 465
Social Interaction Processes: Symbolic Interaction
Dr. Brandy Simula
Fall 2012
Tuesdays 1-4pm
104 Tarbutton
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11:30-12:30 and by appointment, Tarbutton 208
E-mail: bsimula@emory.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course approaches the dynamics of social interaction from the symbolic
interactionist (SI) perspective. The course provides an overview of both classic and
contemporary works in this tradition. In the first section of the course, we will focus on
the development of the SI perspective and will read major theorists including Mead,
Cooley, Blumer, Goffman, and Stryker. In the second section of the course we will cover
recent theoretical developments, focusing on topics including stigma, the looking-glass
self, reflected appraisals, identity processes, identity and stress, identity negotiation, and
emotions. Throughout the course, we will focus on how selves and identities are created,
modified, and enacted through interactions with others.
As an advanced undergraduate seminar, this course is designed for both undergraduate
and graduate students. Readings and assignments vary somewhat depending upon
whether a student is enrolled as an undergraduate or a graduate. For all students, the
course will:
 Deepen students’ knowledge of sociological research methods through
engaging with studies that draw on a wide range of methodological
approaches.
 Increase students’ understanding of how sociological theories are
developed, tested, and refined and provide students the opportunity to
apply a symbolic interactionist theory to a substantive area of their
choosing in the final course paper.
 Improve students’ written and oral communication skills through writing
exercises, presentations, and discussion facilitations.
For graduate students, this course will also provide the opportunity to prepare for
qualifying exams in social psychology and develop teaching resources for courses in
social psychology and/or theory.
COURSE MATERIALS
G.H. Mead. 1934. Mind, Self, and Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Herbert Blumer. 1969. Symbolic Interactionism. Berkeley: University of California Press.
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Erving Goffman. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York:
Doubleday.
Erving Goffman. 1963. Behavior in Public Places. New York: Free Press.
Sheldon Stryker. 1980. Symbolic Interactionism. Caldwell, NJ: The Blackburn Press.
Erving Goffman.. 1963. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. New
York: Simon and Schuster.
Suggested reference texts:
Charon, Joel. 2009. Symbolic Interactionism. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Reynolds, Larry and Nancy Herman-Kinney, eds. 2004. Handbook of Symbolic
Interactionism. Walnut Creek: Alta Mira Press.
Course Requirements
1. A research guide on one of the major theorists (30%)
You will prepare a research guide on one of the major theorists we will read in the
first section of the course (weeks 2-5). Your research guide should include:
 A brief summary (2-3 pages) of the works we read by that theorist.
 A 2-3 page review essay situating the theorist you have chosen and her/his
work in the broader field of SI and in sociology more generally. Consider
how s/he drew on extant sociological theory as well as how her/his work
has influenced SI and sociology. What major concepts, methodological
approaches, and/or substantive areas did her/his work contribute to? How
have other scholars used her/his work?
 Graduate students should also include a brief (no more than 2 pages)
compilation of teaching resources. Imagine how you would teach this
theorist in an undergraduate theory or social psychology course. What
activities and/or assignments would you use? What examples could you
draw on in lectures? How would you make this material accessible and
relevant to your students?
2. Two discussion facilitations and critical review papers (2 @ 15% each)
Each student will facilitate class discussions twice during the semester (one or
both discussion facilitations may be done in pairs depending on the size of the
class). Your discussion facilitation should begin with a brief overview of the
readings (5-10 minutes) and you should then use the discussion questions you
prepare to facilitate a discussion among seminar participants. You will also write
a 5-page critical review essay of the works we read on the days you facilitate
seminar discussions. Please turn in a hard copy of your discussion questions and
critical review essay on the days you facilitate discussions.
3. Active and Informed Participation 10%
The success of this seminar depends on the active and informed participation of
all seminar members. This means reading carefully and preparing questions and
comments in advance.
4. Final paper (30%)
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Your final paper will give you the opportunity to apply an interactionist theory to
a substantive topic of interest. Undergraduate papers should be 8-10 pages;
graduate papers should be 15-20 pages.
 A one page proposal including abstract (200-300 words) and selected
working bibliography is due November 20th
 A hard copy of your final paper is due in my mailbox by 5pm on Monday,
December 17th
SCHEDULE
Note: Graduate students should complete optional readings; undergraduates may choose
whether to complete these readings. Recommended readings are review and/or reference
pieces and are optional for both graduate and undergraduate students.
Sep 4
Introductory Discussion
Sep 11
George Herbert Mead
Mead, G.H. 1934. Mind, Self, and Society. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. 42-82; 100-125; 135-200; 273-280; 298-302.
Optional:
Couch, Carl. 1989. “Becoming Social.” Pp. 1-15 in Social
Processes and Relationships. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Sep 18
Herbert Blumer
Blumer, Herbert. 1969. Symbolic Interactionism. Berkeley: University of
California. Chapters 1, 7, 8, and 9.
Optional:
Snow, David A. 2001. ‘Extending and Broadening Blumer’s
Conceptualization of Symbolic Interactionism.” Symbolic
Interaction 24: 367-377.
Sep 25
Erving Goffman
Goffman, Erving. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New
York: Doubleday. Chapters I and III.
Goffman, Erving. 1967. Interaction Ritual. New York: Pantheon Books.
Chapter 1: On Face Work.
Optional:
Goffman, Erving. 1963. Behavior in Public Places. New York:
Free Press. Chapters 1, 2, 6, and 12-13.
Recommended:
Scheff, Thomas. 2005. “Looking-Glass Self: Goffman as
Symbolic Interactionist.” Symbolic Interaction 28: 147-166.
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Oct 2
Sheldon Stryker
Stryker, Sheldon. 1980. Symbolic Interactionism. Caldwell, NJ: The
Blackburn Press.
Optional:
Stryker, Sheldon and Kevin Vryan. 2003. “The Symbolic
Interactionist Frame.” Pp. 3-28 in Handbook of Social Psychology,
edited by John Delamater. New York: Kluwer Academic.
Oct 9
Stigma
Goffman, Erving. 1963. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled
Identity. New York: Simon and Schuster. Pp. 1-19; 73-104
Han, Chong-suk. 2009. “Asian Girls Are Prettier: Gendered Presentations
as Stigma Management among Gay Asian Men.” Symbolic
Interaction 32: 106-122.
Optional:
Thoits, Peggy. 2011. “Resisting the Stigma of Mental Illness.”
Social Psychology Quarterly 74: 6-28.
Granberg, Ellen. 2011. “‘Now my ‘old self’ is thin’: Stigma Exits after
Weight Loss.” Social Psychology Quarterly 74: 29-52.
Link, Bruce and Jo Phelan. 2001. “Conceptualizing Stigma.” Annual
Review of Sociology 27: 363-385.
Oct 16
Fall Break
Oct 23
Construction and Presentation of Self
Waskul, Dennis. 2007. “Cyberspace and Cyberselves.” Pp. 119-128 in
Inside Social Life, 5th edition, edited by Spencer Cahill. Los
Angeles: Roxbury Publishing.
Ramirez, Michael. 2006. “My Dog’s Just Like Me: Dog Ownership as
Gender Display.” Symbolic Interaction 29: 373-391.
Ford, Kristie. 2011. “Doing Fake Masculinity, Being Real Men: Present
and Future Constructions of Self among Black College Men.”
Symbolic Interaction 34: 38-62.
Optional:
Martin, Karin. 2009. “Normalizing Heterosexuality: Mothers’
Assumptions, Talk, and Strategies with Young Children.”
American Sociological Review 74:190-207.
Giordano, Peggy, Monica Longmore, Wendy Manning, and Miriam
Northcutt. 2009. “Adolescent Identities and Sexual Behavior: An
Examination of Anderson’s Player Hypothesis.” Social Forces
87:1813-1844.
Recommended:
Weigert, Andrew and Viktor Gecas. 2003. “Self.” Chapter
10 in Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism, edited by Larry
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Reynolds and Nancy Herman-Kinney. Walnut Creek: Altamira
Press.
Oct 30
Looking Glass Self and Reflected Appraisals
Cooley, Charles Horton. 1983. “Looking-Glass Self.” Pp.183-185 in
Human Nature and the Social Order by C.H. Cooley. New
Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.
Felson, Richard. 1985. “Reflected Appraisal and the Development of
Self.” Social Psychology Quarterly 48:71-78.
Killian, Caitlin and Cathryn Johnson. 2006. “I’m Not an Immigrant!”:
Resistance, Redefinition, and the Role of Resources in Identity
Work.” Social Psychology Quarterly 69: 60-80.
Optional:
McCall, George. 2003. “The Me and the Not-Me: Positive and
Negative Poles of Identity.” Pp. 11-25 in Advances in Identity and
Research, edited by Peter Burke, Richard Serpe, and Peggy Thoits.
New York: Kluwer/ Plenum.
Waskul, Dennis and Phillip Vannini. 2008. “Smell, Odor, and Somatic
Work: Sense-making and Memory Management.” Social
Psychology Quarterly 71:53-71.
Nov 6
Looking Glass, cont’d.
Milkie, Melissa. 1999. “Social Comparisons, Reflected Appraisals, and
Mass Media: The Impact of Pervasive Beauty Images on Black and
White Girls’ Self Concepts.” Social Psychology Quarterly 62: 190210.
Lee, James. 1998. “Which Kids Can ‘Become’ scientists? Effects of
Gender, Self-Concepts, and Perceptions of Scientists.” Social
Psychology Quarterly 61:199-219.
Khanna, Nikki. “2010. ‘If You’re Half Black, You’re Just Black’:
Reflected Appraisal and the Persistence of the One Drop Rule.”
The Sociological Quarterly 51:96-121.
Optional:
Harris, David and Jeremiah Joseph Sim. 2002. “Who is
Multiracial? Assessing the Complexity of Lived Race.” American
Sociological Review 67:614-627.
Markowitz, Fed, Beth Angell, and Jan Greenberg. 2011. “Stigma,
Reflected Appraisals, and Recovery Outcomes in Mental Illness.”
Social Psychology Quarterly 74: 14-165.
Nov 13
Identity Processes: Identity Control Theory
Stets, Jan and Peter Burke. 2005. “Identity Verification, Control and
Aggression in Marriage.” Social Psychology Quarterly 68:160178.
Burke, Peter. 2006. “Identity Change.” Social Psychology Quarterly
69:81-96.
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Cast, Alicia D. and Allison Cantwell. 2007. “Identity Change in
Newly Married Couples: Effects of Positive and Negative
Feedback.” Social Psychology Quarterly 70:172-185.
Optional:
Stryker, Sheldon and Peter Burke. 2000. “The Past, Present, and Future of
an Identity Theory.” Social Psychology Quarterly 63: 284-297.
Stets, Jan and Michael Carter. 2011. “The Moral Self: Applying Identity
Theory.” Social Psychology Quarterly 74: 192-215.
Recommended:
Vryan, Kevin, Patricia Adler and Peter Adler. 2003. “Identity.” Chapter
15 in Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism, edited by Larry
Reynolds and Nancy Herman-Kinney. Walnut Grove: Altamira
Press.
Burke, Peter. 2004. “Identities and Social Structure: the 2003 CooleyMead Award Address.” Social Psychology Quarterly 67: 5-15.
Cast, Alicia. 2004. “Role-Taking and Interaction.” Social Psychology
Quarterly 67: 296-309.
Nov 20
Negotiating Identities
Owens, Timothy, Dawn Robinson, and Lynn Smith-Lovin. 2010. “Three
Faces of Identity.” Annual Review of Sociology 36:477-499.
Snow, David and Leon Anderson. 1987. “Identity Work Among the
Homeless: The Verbal Construction and Avowal of Personal
Identities.” American Journal of Sociology 92: 1336-1371.
Wilkins, Amy. 2012. “Becoming Black Women: Intimate Stories and
Intersectional Identities.” Social Psychology Quarterly 75: 173196.
Optional:
Steele, Claude and Joshua Aronson. 1995. “Stereotype Threat and the
Intellectual Test Performance of African Americans.” Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology 69:797-811.
Adler, Patricia and Peter Adler. 2007. “Preadolescent Cliques,
Friendships, and Identity.” Pp. 252-272 in Inside Social Life, 5th
edition. edited by Spencer Cahill. New York: Oxford University
Press.
Recommended:
Owens, Timothy. 2003. “Self and Identity.” Pp. 205-232
in Handbook of Social Psychology, edited by John Delamater. New
York: Kluwer Academic.
Nov 27
Negotiating Identities, cont’d
Smith-Lovin, Lynn. 2007. “The Strength of Weak Identities: Social
Structural Sources of Self, Situation, and Emotional Experience.”
Social Psychology Quarterly 70: 106-124.
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Cast, Alicia. 2003. “Power and the Ability to Define the Situation.” Social
Psychology Quarterly 66:185-201.
Optional:
Trautner, Mary Nell and Jessica Collett. 2010. “Students Who
Strip: The Benefits of Alternate Identities for Managing Stigma.”
Symbolic Interaction 33: 257-279.
Stein, Karen. 2011. “Getting Away from It All: The Construction and
Management of Temporary Identities on Vacation.” Symbolic
Interaction 34: 290-308.
Recommended:
Hunt, Matthew. 2003. “Identities and Inequalities: Exploring Links
Between Self and Stratification Processes.” Pp. 71-84 in Advances
in Identity and Research, edited by Peter Burke, Richard Serpe,
and Peggy Thoits. New York: Kluwer/ Plenum.
Dec 4
Identity Processes: Social Identity Theory and Comparison to ICT
Hogg, Michael and Dominic Abrams. 1999. “Social Identity and Social
Cognition: Historical Background and Current Trends.” Pp. 1-12 in
Social Identity and Social Cognition, edited by Dominic Abrams
and Michael Hogg. New York: Blackwell.
Turner, John. 1999. “Some Current Issues in Research in Social Identity
and Self Categorization Theories.” Pp. 6-34 in Social Identity,
edited by Naomi Ellemers, Russell Spears, and Bertjan Doosje.
New York: Blackwell.
Maliepaard, Mieke and Karen Phalet. 2012. “Social Integration and
Religious Identity Expression among Dutch Muslims: The Role of
Minority and Majority Group Contact.” Social Psychology
Quarterly 75: 131- 148.
Optional:
Hogg, Michael, D.J. Terry, and K.M. White. 1995. “A Tale of
Two Theories: A Critical Comparison of Identity Theory with
Social Identity Theory.” Social Psychology Quarterly 58:255-269.
Stets, Jan and Peter Burke. 2000. “Identity Theory and Social Identity
Theory.” Social Psychology Quarterly 63:224-237.
Dec 11
Emotions and Emotion Management
Hochschild, Arlie Russell. 1998. “Emotion Work and Feeling Rules.” Pp.
59-66 in Inside Social Life, 2nd edition, edited by Spencer Cahill.
Los Angeles: Roxbury.
Cahill, Spencer and Robin Eggleston. 1994. “Managing Emotions in
Public: The Case of Wheelchair Users.” Social Psychology
Quarterly 57:300-312.
Vaccaro, Christian, Douglas Schrock, and Janice McCabe. 2011.
“Managing Emotional Manhood: Fighting and Fostering Fear in
Mixed Martial Arts.” Social Psychology Quarterly 74:414-437.
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Optional:
Orzechowiz, David. 2008. “Privileged Emotion Managers: The
Case of Actors.” Social Psychology Quarterly 71: 143-156.
Lois, Jennifer. 2010. “The Temporal Emotion Work of Motherhood:
Homeschoolers' Strategies for Managing Time Shortage.” Gender
& Society 24:421-46.
Recommended:
Franks, David. 2003. “Emotions.” Chapter 32 in Handbook of Symbolic
Interactionism, edited by Larry Reynolds and Nancy HermanKinney. Walnut Gove: Altamira Press.
Final Papers Due Monday Dec 17th by 5pm (please leave a hard copy in my mailbox,
located in the Sociology Department Office in Tarbutton)
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