The Theoretical Frame of Symbolic Interactions: A Contextualist,Social Science*

Symbolic interactionism is differentiated from conventional “natural science” approaches as an exemplification of pure “social science.” This alternative philosophy of science is described and contrasted with mechanistic natural science along lines set forth by Pepper and recently elaborated by Sarbin: it is a contextualist mode of science concerned with the qualitative analysis of human conduct in interpersonal situations. Validity is assessed by qualitative confirmation—does it fit? and is it useful?—not by reference to a causal theory of truth. Symbolic interactionism represents an acausal science independent of the categories and presumptions of mechanistic natural science, which is logically and practically adequate in its own right.