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Residual Categories and Disciplinary Knowledge: Personal Identity in Sociological and Forensic Investigations

Williams, R

Residual Categories and Disciplinary Knowledge: Personal Identity in Sociological and Forensic Investigations Thumbnail


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Abstract

A central feature of the development of sociological knowledge is the formulation and use of "descriptive frames of reference" within which theoretical and empirical work may be critically assessed. This article considers the way in which one such frame of reference—that developed by Erving Goffman to represent the variety of human science understandings of the nature of identity in social interaction—distinguished between "personal," "social," and "self" identity. The relative neglect of the first of these three categorizations is noted. Following Garfinkel's suggestions for the "respecification" of social analysis, this article suggests the usefulness of an approach to the neglected issue of personal identity that suspends theoretical stipulation about an abstract noun in favor of an ethnographic study of a particular occupational group—forensic investigators—for whom an orientation to personal identities is a recurrent accountable practical concern.

Citation

Williams, R. (2003). Residual Categories and Disciplinary Knowledge: Personal Identity in Sociological and Forensic Investigations. Symbolic Interaction, 26(4), 515-529. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2003.26.4.515

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2003-10
Deposit Date Aug 4, 2008
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Symbolic Interaction
Print ISSN 0195-6086
Electronic ISSN 1533-8665
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 26
Issue 4
Pages 515-529
DOI https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2003.26.4.515

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Copyright Statement
Published as Williams, R. (2003) Residual categories and disciplinary knowledge : personal identity in sociological and forensic investigations. Symbolic interaction., 26 (4). pp. 515-529. © 2003 by [the Regents of the University of California/Sponsoring Society or Association]. Copying and permissions notice: Authorization to copy this content beyond fair use (as specified in Sections 107 and 108 of the U. S. Copyright Law) for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by [the Regents of the University of California/on behalf of the Sponsoring Society] for libraries and other users, provided that they are registered with and pay the specified fee via Rightslink® on [Caliber (http://caliber.ucpress.net/)] or directly with the Copyright Clearance Center, http://www.copyright.com."





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