Symbolic interaction and classical greek scholarship: Conceptual foundations, historical continuities, and transcontextual relevancies

Abstract

Although symbolic interaction (Mead, 1934; Blumer, 1969) generally is envisioned as a unique twentieth century product of a democratic society, the roots of this approach to the study of human group life run much deeper. Thus, as a sociological extension of American pragmatist philosophy, the conceptual foundations of what has become known as symbolic interaction can be traced back to classic Greek scholarship (ca. 700-300BCE) as, relatedly, can interactionist methodology (i.e., ethnographic inquiry) and the interactionist quest to articulate basic conceptual features of human association. Further, whereas symbolic interaction is typically viewed as a highly situated or localized approach to the study of human group life, interactionism offers extended potential for transhistorical and transcultural comparative analysis. As well, although much overlooked by those in the social sciences, the classical Greek literature (along with various other interim sources) provides an exceptionally vital set of resources for scholars studying human group life in more sustained comparative-analytic terms. By resisting the temptation to assume that newer is better, we may in the process of examining our own intellectual heritage, arrive at a more adequate, pragmatist informed social science with which to approach the future.