Most textbooks today reserve the history of sociology for names like Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Mead. This abbreviated version of the history of the discipline leaves the reader with only a rudimentary understanding of the evolution of sociology, yet at the same time it deviates from the basic premise of sociology, which suggests understanding the relationship of the individual to society and the history of both. We have McDonaldized the history of sociology and in the process erased many individuals who were paramount in its development. The following study addresses the influence of Charles Abram Ellwood on the development of sociology, specifically the development of Herbert Blumer and subsequently symbolic interactionism. There are four main areas where Ellwood's ideas can be found in Blumer's work as well as within symbolic interactionism: (1) interactionism; (2) methodology; (3) emotions; and (4) group behavior. It is advocated here that Ellwood should be included among the names of Dewey, Mead, Cooley and Thomas as a central figure in the development of both Blumer and symbolic interactionism.
In recent years, people with mental retardation have begun to lead lives similar to other citizens. New opportunities, such as employment within the community and/or independent habitation, have allowed this population to begin experiencing the world in much the same way as their community, or society as a whole. However, one area has largely been overlooked by academics and practitioners alike: the right to grieve, and the similarities and differences that exist for people with mental retardation during this process. This is a theoretical article that utilizes a Symbolic Interactionist perspective to examine the grieving process, and how it applies to people with mental retardation. It is suggested here that people with mental retardation have fewer selves or identities from which to draw, therefore, when losing someone to death, a person with mental retardation experiences the loss more so, as a greater proportion of the individual is lost with the death. Suggestions for teachers, counselors, and parents for assisting people with mental retardation in the grieving process are provided.
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