Drawing ideas from the works of George Herbert Mead, Mikhail Bakhtin, Kenneth Burke, and the American pragmaticism philosophers, Dialogues, Dramas, and Emotions: Essays in Interactionist Sociology argues that the verbal interactions of human agents are characterized by addresses and rejoinders, which Bakhtin called dialogues. These moves conform to what Burke called dramatism. Robert Perinbanayagam uses examples both from dramatic literature and everyday conversations to demonstrate how everyday interactions are inescapably dramas, conducted through the use of dialogues in order to promote mutual understanding. Along with analyzing the dialogues themselves, the author also examines what comes to play in these interactions and shows the various consequences of these emotionalities in ongoing human relationships.

About the Author

Robert Perinbanayagam is professor of sociology (emeritus) at Hunter College, City University of New York.

Reviews

"Perinbanayagam's work has given us unforgettable accounts of the self as both sign and signifier. In this new work the author expands this distinct insight, combining three vital bodies of work: the pragmatism of Charles Sanders Peirce, the dialogism of Mikhail Bakhtin, and the dramatism of Kenneth Burke, creating a tool for interactionists to analyze language as a social tool employed by social actors. This is a bold and creative undertaking."

-- E. Doyle McCarthy, Fordham University



Book Information
ISBN 9781666931372
Author Robert Perinbanayagam
Format Hardback
Page Count 152
Imprint Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Publisher Lexington Books
Weight(grams) 404g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 157mm * 17mm