THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM IN CANADIAN SOCIOLOGY, 1922-1979: SUCCESS AT WHAT COST?

This essay examines the growth of symbolic interactionism (SI) as a specialization in English-language Canadian sociology, 1922-1979. We do not focus on theoretical and/or methodological developments. Rather, we document three empirical indicators of the institutionalization of SI: faculty members hired, research published and SI-receptive programs established. We find that Canadian sociologists institutionalized SI in two phases. From 1922 to 1959, SI institutionalized slowly. There were few SI "core" faculty and scarcely more "SIaccommodative" faculty. Little SI-based literature was published. McGill had Canada's only SI-friendly program. After 1960, SI grew rapidly and by 1979, was well institutionalized: over ninety SI and SI-accommodative faculty had been hired, SI literature (journal articles, textbooks) was commonplace. Many sociology departments offered an SI-accommodative program. Sometime in the 1980s, classical SI began to "de-institutionalize." Ironically, as SI's footprint grew and influence spread, it appeared to become less discernable, less coherent and less viable as a distinct and unified approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]