The Sociology of the Individual

Introduction Interaction Symbolic Interactionism Socialization Identity The Self The Unconscious and Conscious Self Intra-Action Conclusion

Athanasia Chalari's book focuses on the relationship between intra and interaction and the way it relates to symbolic interactionism and to other paradigms - sociotheoretical, sociopsychological and psychoanalytics. It provides new insights which can be useful to all those interested in the conceptualization and empirical investigation of the agency-structure problematic and of other key issues in theoretical and applied sociology. It will be useful not only to scholars interested on the book's focus on the concept intra-action. By providing in a systematic manner concrete examples, it can also help undergraduate and graduate students to understand better some of the ways that the "individual" can be studied on different levels of analysis. -- Nicos Mouzelis In The Sociology of the Individual, Chalari offers up a fascinating puzzle to the reader: how is it that we are both unique individuals and social beings at the same time? The answers to this puzzle are sought with the help of a wide range of classical and contemporary sociological and psychological approaches to the individual. Practical examples help bring this wonderful book to life and illustrate to the student the relevance of sociological and psychological theories of the self for everyday life. -- Vanessa May The Sociology of the Individual offers a fascinating trip through an array of opinions, perspectives and theses regarding the conceptualisation of the individual and their relative position(s) in society. This approach will be beneficial for early career scholars in search of a theory most compatible with their own ideas and beliefs. It can also be useful for more experienced academics looking to get a taste, in a concise way, of some of the less familiar approaches to understanding the individual. The book, however, will be appealing for a broader audience, including students and members of the general public with an interest in sociology, as Chalari does a brilliant job of illustrating the value of notoriously abstract concepts with specific practical examples. -- Dr Andrew Kozhevnikov * BSA Network *