Herbert Blumer
Encyclopedia
Herbert George Blumer was an American
sociologist
. Continuing the work of George Herbert Mead
, he named and developed the topic of symbolic interactionism
. According to Blumer himself, his main post-graduate scholarly interests were symbolic interactionism and methodological problems. He believed that sympathetic introspection and participant observation were more important than scientific approaches when it came to examining symbolic interactionism.
Blumer was also an outstanding American football
player. He was a member of the 1925 Chicago Cardinals NFL Championship team, and was selected to the 1929 All-Pro Team.
. He lived in Webster Groves, Missouri
, with his parents and attended Webster Groves High School
and later the University of Missouri
from 1918 to 1922. After graduation, he secured a teaching position there, but in 1925 he relocated to the University of Chicago
where he was greatly influenced by sociologists George Herbert Mead
, W. I. Thomas
, and Robert Park
. While studying sociology at the University of Chicago, the 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) Blumer was an offensive lineman for the NFL
's Chicago Cardinals (1925–1933). At the time, the Cardinals were the cross-town rivals of the Bears
. Upon completing his doctorate in 1928, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Chicago, where he continued his own research and the work of Mead. Blumer was the secretary treasurer of the American Sociological Association from 1930–1935, and was the editor of the American Journal of Sociology from 1941-1952. In 1952, he moved from the University of Chicago
, and presided and developed the newly-formed Sociology Department at the University of California, Berkeley
. In 1952, he became the president of the American Sociological Association, and he received the association's award for a Career of Distinguished Scholarship in 1983. Herbert Blumer died on April 13, 1987.
in 1937. He was working from Mead's understanding of the individual as an actor, and the importance of empirical observation. He saw humans acting towards social objects in terms of the meaning they attribute to those objects, rather than their intrinsic
character. Inspired by former students, Blumer decided to present his articles on symbolic interactionism in a single volume. In this volume, Blumer broke symbolic interactionism down into three premises:
He defined interpretation in two ways, the first being the actor's identification of the objects in a situation that has meaning. The second is an internal communication with him or herself to decide which meaningful object to respond to. Blumer identified symbolic interaction as a uniquely human process because it requires the definition and interpretation of language and gestures, and the determination of the meaning of the actions of others. Humans must be able to understand each other, because social life is a "fluid and negotiated process." It is common for individuals to try to fit their actions and behaviors to those with whom their interacting. Blumer thought that symbolic interactionism could only be approached empirically, because to conceptualize human interactions you must observe them in action. He said,
According to Blumer there were two types of interactionism, symbolic and non-symbolic. Non-symbolic interactionism is non-reflective responsiveness to the action of another or others, whereas with symbolic interactionism there is an interactive response. Blumer believed there was no need to adopt scientific techniques and methods to observe symbolic interactionism; all you needed was a direct, empirical study. His hope was that symbolic interactionism scaffolded a methodology that respected the inherent ways of the empirical world.
In conclusion, Blumer recognized that in society there was no clear distinction between attitude and value, and that even social theorists have difficulty distinguishing between the two.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sociologist
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. Continuing the work of George Herbert Mead
George Herbert Mead
George Herbert Mead was an American philosopher, sociologist and psychologist, primarily affiliated with the University of Chicago, where he was one of several distinguished pragmatists. He is regarded as one of the founders of social psychology and the American sociological tradition in general.-...
, he named and developed the topic of symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism
Symbolic Interaction, also known as interactionism, is a sociological theory that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction to provide subjective meaning in human behavior, the social process and pragmatism.-History:...
. According to Blumer himself, his main post-graduate scholarly interests were symbolic interactionism and methodological problems. He believed that sympathetic introspection and participant observation were more important than scientific approaches when it came to examining symbolic interactionism.
Blumer was also an outstanding American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He was a member of the 1925 Chicago Cardinals NFL Championship team, and was selected to the 1929 All-Pro Team.
Personal history
Blumer was born March 7, 1900 in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He lived in Webster Groves, Missouri
Webster Groves, Missouri
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is named after New England politician Daniel Webster....
, with his parents and attended Webster Groves High School
Webster Groves High School
Webster Groves High School is a public secondary school in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It is located at 100 Selma Ave, Webster Groves, MO. The school is part of the Webster Groves School District and its current principal is Dr. Jon Clark....
and later the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
from 1918 to 1922. After graduation, he secured a teaching position there, but in 1925 he relocated to the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where he was greatly influenced by sociologists George Herbert Mead
George Herbert Mead
George Herbert Mead was an American philosopher, sociologist and psychologist, primarily affiliated with the University of Chicago, where he was one of several distinguished pragmatists. He is regarded as one of the founders of social psychology and the American sociological tradition in general.-...
, W. I. Thomas
W. I. Thomas
William Isaac Thomas was an American sociologist. He is noted for his innovative work on the sociology of migration on which he co-operated with Florian Znaniecki, and for his formulation of what became known as the Thomas theorem, a fundamental principle of sociology: "If men define situations as...
, and Robert Park
Robert E. Park
Robert Ezra Park was an American urban sociologist, one of the main founders of the original Chicago School of sociology.-Life:...
. While studying sociology at the University of Chicago, the 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) Blumer was an offensive lineman for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Chicago Cardinals (1925–1933). At the time, the Cardinals were the cross-town rivals of the Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Upon completing his doctorate in 1928, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Chicago, where he continued his own research and the work of Mead. Blumer was the secretary treasurer of the American Sociological Association from 1930–1935, and was the editor of the American Journal of Sociology from 1941-1952. In 1952, he moved from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and presided and developed the newly-formed Sociology Department at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. In 1952, he became the president of the American Sociological Association, and he received the association's award for a Career of Distinguished Scholarship in 1983. Herbert Blumer died on April 13, 1987.
Symbolic interactionism
Blumer invented the term symbolic interactionismSymbolic interactionism
Symbolic Interaction, also known as interactionism, is a sociological theory that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction to provide subjective meaning in human behavior, the social process and pragmatism.-History:...
in 1937. He was working from Mead's understanding of the individual as an actor, and the importance of empirical observation. He saw humans acting towards social objects in terms of the meaning they attribute to those objects, rather than their intrinsic
Intrinsic and extrinsic properties (philosophy)
An intrinsic property is a property that an object or a thing has of itself, independently of other things, including its context. An extrinsic property is a property that depends on a thing's relationship with other things...
character. Inspired by former students, Blumer decided to present his articles on symbolic interactionism in a single volume. In this volume, Blumer broke symbolic interactionism down into three premises:
- Humans behave according to the meanings that things and events have for them.
- Individual meanings of things and events stem from interaction with others.
- Meanings entail interpretation rather than simple literal compliance with standardized expectations.
He defined interpretation in two ways, the first being the actor's identification of the objects in a situation that has meaning. The second is an internal communication with him or herself to decide which meaningful object to respond to. Blumer identified symbolic interaction as a uniquely human process because it requires the definition and interpretation of language and gestures, and the determination of the meaning of the actions of others. Humans must be able to understand each other, because social life is a "fluid and negotiated process." It is common for individuals to try to fit their actions and behaviors to those with whom their interacting. Blumer thought that symbolic interactionism could only be approached empirically, because to conceptualize human interactions you must observe them in action. He said,
- "Human groups of society exist in action and must be seen in terms of action...A cardinal principle of symbolic interactionism is that any empirically oriented scheme of human society, however derived, must respect the fact that in the first and last instances human society consists of people engaging in action."
According to Blumer there were two types of interactionism, symbolic and non-symbolic. Non-symbolic interactionism is non-reflective responsiveness to the action of another or others, whereas with symbolic interactionism there is an interactive response. Blumer believed there was no need to adopt scientific techniques and methods to observe symbolic interactionism; all you needed was a direct, empirical study. His hope was that symbolic interactionism scaffolded a methodology that respected the inherent ways of the empirical world.
Criticisms of symbolic interactionism
Blumer's idea is criticized for putting too much emphasis on day-to-day life and the social formation of the individual while ignoring social structure. He also tended to ignore class relations, and the restraints brought about by differing social classes. Some critics believe that Blumer deviated from Mead's ideas of scientific behaviorism, and which has not led to the development of any useful concepts based on the observations of overt behavior.Blumer's criticisms of Thomas and Znaniecki
In 1939, Blumer published Critiques of Research in the Social Sciences: An Appraisal of Thomas and Znaniecki's The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, criticizing what at the time was a popular social theory. Blumer claimed that Thomas and Znaniecki failed to properly distinguish between attitude as subjective and value as a societal collective element. He said they used the terms interchangeably, and therefore making the theory unreliable. It is difficult to disentangle subjective factors and objective correlates because the objective world is dealt with only to the extent that it enters subjective experiences. Blumer said,-
- "This scheme declares that a value playing upon a pre-existing attitude gives rise to a new attitude, or an attitude playing upon a pre-existing value gives rise to a new value. With terms that are uncertain and not clearly disjunctive, the presumed causal relation becomes suspect."
In conclusion, Blumer recognized that in society there was no clear distinction between attitude and value, and that even social theorists have difficulty distinguishing between the two.
Movies and Conduct
Another of Blumer's best-known studies was part of the Payne Fund research project, which was a result of fears about the effect of movies on children and young adults. The project included more than 18 social scientists who produced eleven published reports. In Blumer's study, Movies and Conduct (1933), more than fifteen hundred college and high school students wrote autobiographies of their movie-going experiences. He uncovered that movies teach children things about life: attitudes, hairstyles, how to kiss, even how to pickpocket.Featured Works
- Movies and Conduct (1933)
- Critiques of Research in the Social Sciences: An Appraisal of Thomas and Znaniecki's The Polish Peasant in Europe and America (1939)
- Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method (1969)
Other works
- Movies, Delinquency, and Crime (1933)
- The Human Side of Social Planning (1935)
- "Social Psychology", Chapter 4 in Emerson Peter Schmidt (ed.) Man and Society: A Substantive Introduction to the Social Science. New York, Prentice-Hall (1937)
- "Sociological Theory in Industrial Relations", pp. 271–278 in American Sociological Review, Vol. 12, No. 3 (1947)
- "Collective Behavior." pp. 166–222. New Outline of the Principles of Sociology, ed. A. M. Lee. New York: Barnes & Noble. (1951)
- “Sociological Analysis and the "Variable"” pp. 683–690 in American Sociological Review, Vol 21, No. 6. (Dec., 1956)
External links
- Symbolic Interactionism as defined by Herbert Blumer
- A Blumer Bibliography
- Movies and Conduct
- Profile at DatabaseFootball.com