Group Life ? An Invitation to Local Sociology

Sociological analysis is replete with debates about "micro" and "macro," individual and society, but all too often these miss the point: interacting groups are the hinge that connects the two. To understand how structures matter and how individuals navigate them, we must take groups and people in local communities seriously.Gary Alan Fine and Tim Hallett skillfully argue that sociologists have the obligation to examine the role of small communities in the creation of both the interaction order and structural realities. With novel concepts and rich ethnographic examples, this book describes how group commitments shape selves and society, emphasizing the importance of a meso-level approach to social organization. Fine and Hallett provide new models of identity, culture, conflict, and control, and consider how a network of groups can provide insight into extended communication channels and social media lattices. Ultimately, they show that, despite the importance of institutions and individuals, group life is the fundamental building block of community.This timely book makes the case for a local sociology that includes sociality. It will be a welcome resource for students and sociologists, and a necessary call to action for the discipline as a whole.

"Fine and Hallett make a persuasive case for a 'local' sociology that treats seriously the significance of groups, their routines and cultures. A major contribution to the broadly interactionist tradition in contemporary sociology."Paul Atkinson, Cardiff University"Extending their discipline-defining contributions, Fine and Hallett broaden our understanding of the social dimension of human interactions as they impact meaning-making and action. They propose an original and encompassing sociological approach to group life that will be widely referenced in years to come."Mich?le Lamont, Harvard University