ABSTRACT
In this introduction, the editor first outlines the main purpose and ambition of the book, which is to present a strong case for critical and cultural interactionism, and the idea that the tradition of interactionism throughout the years has increasingly bifurcated and developed into various, however often overlooked, critically and culturally oriented variants. In the early heydays of interactionism (and particularly ‘symbolic interactionism’), the perspective was often accused of lacking a critical potential and for reserving its studies and analyses mainly for micro-social contexts. However, in recent decades, different varieties of interactionism have emerged and expanded the scope of the perspective by increasingly starting to incorporate more macro-oriented concerns (such as culture, domination, power and inequality) into its theoretical and analytical toolbox. This introduction will highlight some of these recent developments within interactionist sociology. The introduction ends with a brief summary of each of the chapters included in the book.
