Key Areas of Modern American Sociology: Symbolic Interactionism, Phenomenology and Ethnomethodology

Modern American sociology is a complex, multifaceted field of study. The relevance of the study of its key areas is due to the fact that there is currently an increasing interest in socio-cultural processes that shape individual and group human behavior. The purpose of the article is to reveal the essence of the key areas of modern American sociology: symbolic interactionism, phenomenology and ethnomethodology. The main tasks solved in the article were to characterize the directions of modern American sociology, such as symbolic interactionism, phenomenology and ethnomethodology, and to deepen the understanding of the complex and diverse essence of social reality using these theoretical approaches. The scientific and practical significance of this article lies in the fact that, from a theoretical point of view, the study of these areas contributes to the development of sociology as a science, and from a practical point of view, it has great importance for the application of acquired knowledge in the real life of society.
The article analyzes the essence of the main conceptual ideas and methodological approaches of each of the areas under consideration, as well as their historical evolution and the importance of theoretical and practical sociology. In the process of writing the article, the following conclusions were drawn: the direction of symbolic interactionism, focusing on the analysis of the meaning of symbols and interactions in everyday life, offers a deep understanding of how individuals create and interpret social realities. Phenomenology, focusing on the study of subjective experience and perception, reveals how a person comprehends and experiences his world, enriching sociological theory with new perspectives. Ethnomethodology, on the other hand, considering the cognitive processes through which individuals construct the meaning and order of everyday life, allows us to identify the constraining factors and everyday mechanisms that control social interaction. Thus, in the modern conditions of globalization and cultural transformations, the approaches under study become particularly relevant, since they contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of social interaction, cultural conflicts and identification processes.

1. Конт О. Курс положительной философии. В 6 т. URL: https://socioline.ru/files/5/44/g.garfinkel_issledovaniya_po_etnometodologii.pdf.

2. Иванова А.С. Этнометодологический проект Г. Гарфинкеля и современная «Этнография науки» // Вестник РУДН. Серия: Социология. 2011. № 4. С. 16–25.

3. Арон Р. Этапы развития социологической мысли. М.: Издат. группа «Прогресс-Политика», 1992. 606 с.

4. Могилевич Б.Р. Межкультурная коммуникация в контексте социологии культуры // Изв. Сарат. ун-та. Нов. сер. Сер. Социология. Политология. 2009. № 4. С. 21–24.

5. Современная американская социология: [Сб. ст.] / Под ред. В.И. Добренькова. М.: Изд-во МГУ, 1994. 293 с.

6. Горбунова М.Ю. Символический интеракционизм как методологическое основание исследования эмоций в социологии // Изв. Сарат. ун-та. Нов. сер. Сер. Социология. Политология. 2011. № 2. С. 10–15.

7. Ненашев М.И. Идеи социальной феноменологии Альфреда Шюца // Вестник ВятГУ. 2010. № 2–1. С. 6–11.

8. Смирнова Н.М. Социальная феноменология в изучении современного общества. М.: РОИ Реабилитация, 2009. 400 с.

9. Слобода Н.М. А. Шюц и его роль в формировании феноменологической социологии // Вестник молодых учёных и специалистов Самарского университета. 2021. № 1 (18). С. 136–144.

10. Гарфинкель Г. Исследования по этнометодологии. URL: https://socioline.ru/files/5/44/g.garfinkel_issledovaniya_po_etnometodologii.pdf.

11. Буравой М. Развитие американской социологии: дилеммы институционализации и профессионализации // Рубеж (альманах социальных исследований). 1991. № 1. С. 74–95.