Performing Action: Artistry in Human Behavior and Social Research

In recent years the social sciences and the humanities have drawn closer to each other in thought and method. Literary criticism and theory, philosophy, and humanistic history have become part of the common background of sociologists, and scholars in literature, philosophy, and history have become attuned to sociology. This rapprochement has led to new perceptions of human behavior by sociologists, as well as new methodological orientations. Joseph R. Gusfield draws on drama and fiction to show how human action is shaped by the formal dimensions of performance. He shows that observing and understanding behavior is analogous to what we do in reading a book, viewing a painting, or watching a play.He defines the concept of behavior as artistic performance in the introductory chapter. Part 1, "Rhetoric", analyzes routine and classic social research reports as literary performances in qualitative and quantitative terms. Gusfield uses concepts drawn from dramatic criticism to examine diverse aspects of social behavior. He treats athletic competition as one form of narrative. Part 2, "Reflexivity", includes chapters on social movements an

Joseph R. Gusfield is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, San Diego.