Being an "interactionist" approach to social psychology, Society and Personality deals with people, not as isolated individuals, but as participants in groups. The aim of the book is to help the reader develop an orderly perspective--a consistent point of view from which to see his (or her) own conduct and that of his (or her) fellows. Propositions about behavior seen from the viewpoint are presented, and relevant evidence, both descriptive and experimental, is examined and evaluated.

The author draws upon the two great intellectual traditions of pragmatism and...