George Herbert Mead And Human Conduct

In this posthumous volume, renowned sociologist Herbert Blumer analyzes George Herbert Mead's position in the study of human conduct. Engaged with Mead's work for over half a century, Blumer explored Mead's ideas for developing the theoretical and methodological position of symbolic interactionism, a term that Blumer would later introduce. Although Blumer focused on the sociological and social psychological implications of Mead's pragmatism, his objective was to explore social processes embodied in and formed through social action. Envisioning individual and collective social action as ongoing accomplishments achieved through symbolic interaction, Blumer insisted on grounding scholarly knowledge about the human condition in the empirical world of people's experiences. Organized and introduced by Thomas J. Morrione, a colleague and friend to whom Blumer entrusted his unpublished papers, the volume also includes Blumer's correspondence with David L. Miller about Mead's theories and other related correspondence. For a greater understanding of both Mead's philosophies and Blumer's, this volume will be essential reading for students and teachers of social theory and symbolic interactionism.

Unpublished book manuscript and related correspondence by famous symbolic interactionist Herbert Blumer concerning the work of George Herbert Mead, the founder of symbolic interactionism. Includes an introduction and notes by Thomas J. Morrione.

The late Herbert Blumer was professor of sociology at University of California, Berkeley. Thomas J. Morrione is professor of sociology at Colby College.