Interactionism and the Study of Race Relations at the Macro‐sociological Level: The Contribution of Herbert Blumer*

Abstract

In 1970 Lewis Killian remarked that "If the average sociologist were asked to list the outstanding students of race relations, it is most unlikely that he would name Herbert Blumer" (p. 179). Despite Killian's attempt to delineate the contrast between Blumer's and others' approaches to the subject and Blumer's own elaboration and modification of his approach in essays written since 1970, there still has been no noticeable recognition of the contribution that symbolic interaction has to make to the macro-sociological approach to race and ethnic relations. The present paper intends to set forth Blumer's conceptualization of the sociology of race and ethnic relations and to suggest its relevance for contemporary studies of that topic.Blumer's approach currently stands in a peripheral and shaded area of the landscape of related theories. There are probably two reasons for this: ( I ) ignorance of his work; and (2) misunderstandings of symbolic interaction in relation to the study of race and ethnic relations.That Blumer's work in this area is almost unknown to most sociologists is indicated in the absence of any discussion of it in recent major works on race and * Direct all communications to: Dr. Stanford M. Lyman, Sociology and Asian Studies, Graduate

Myth, Text, and Interaction Complicity in the Neglect of Blumer's Macrosociology

“…But this trajectory also is a false one; it cannot be substantiated by the full range of Blumer's writings (cf. Killian 1970;Fisher and Strauss 1978;Lyman 1984;Vidich and Lyman 1985). Accordingly, I offer evidence of scholarly wbrk by Blumer that directly confronts those assessments based on myth and that in my judgment are sufficient to mute the voices of those myth makers and myth perpetuators.…”

“…Within this suggested line of investigation, it would be particularly important to recognize the enormous influence Park had on Blumer's approach to the study of human conduct (cf. Lyman 1984). There has been over the years such an inordinate focus on whether Blumer correctly interpreted Mead that a balanced perspective on his intellectual biography and sociological perspectives has been nearly lost.…”

The Effects of Ethnic Identity on Household Budget Allocation to Status Conveying Goods

“…Blumer defined ethnic prejudice as ''a sense of group position'' (Lyman, 1984), and outlines ethnic relations as a process where people are categorized into a non-static set of hierarchal groups. Through stereotypes and attitudes, societal groups reproduce existing ethnic hierarchies (Hollander & Howard, 2000).…”

Structure, Institutions, Power, and Ideology: New Directions Within Symbolic Interactionism

“…Many who criticize SI for not focusing on the historical and structural features of race relations fail to explore Herbert Blumer's work. Even interactionists forget their mentor's important works on this subject (Lyman 1984;Lyman and Vidich 1988;Maines 1988Maines , 1989. As Lyman notes, Blumer not only has been ignored; he, in fact, provides a historical, structural, and institutional account of race relations.…”