The Elusive Situation in Social Psychology (1997)

Following the lead of Cooley and Mead, sociologists have long been devoted to the principle that the self and human action are ineluctably social—that is, produced, sustained and guided by the social situational context. Yet despite this central commitment, analysts have consistently complained about “the neglected situation,” finding the resources for situational analysis slim and unsystematic. I review the history of this neglect and assess the current approaches to situational analysis both in sociology and in psychology. I offer a suggestion, derived from this historical review, regarding a reasonably organized approach to situational analysis and based upon a set of decisions that actors face in defining their situation. I view this approach as being applicable not only to face-to-face microinteraction situations but to macroscopic sociological concerns as well.