Good general texts are Joel M. Charon, Symbolic Interactionism: An Introduction, An Interpretation, An Integration, 7th ed, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 2000; and John P. Hewitt, Self and Society: A Symbolic Interactionist Social Psychology, Boston, Allyn and Bacon, 1991. 

Because Mead is a root, rather than a branch, of communication theory, symbolic interactionism's influence is pervasive in our field.  Recent studies that owe a heavy intellectual debt to Mead and Blumer include:

Lonnie Athens, “The Belated Appearance of ‘Radical Interactionism’ on the American Sociological Stage: The Rise of G.H.Mead and Fall of Robert Park,”  American Sociologist, Vol. 48, 2017, pp. 23-47.

Michael J. Carter and Celene Fuller, Carter, M. (2016). “Symbols, Meaning and Action: The Past, Present, and Future of Symbolic Interactionism,” Current Sociology, Vol. 64, 2016, pp. 931-961.

Applied Symbolic Interactionism

If you or your students have an interest in the dramaturgical issues raised by Goffman, we recommend recent work in performance theory.  The journal Text and Performance Quarterly is a good place to begin. 

Exploring the notion of the “me” when dealing with conforming to social norms

Paul Hughes, “Using Symbolic Interactionism Insights as an Approach to Helping the Individual with Asperger’s Syndrome Overcome Barriers to Social Inclusion,” British Journal of Special Education, Vol. 43, 2016, pp. 60-74.

Sport and symbolic interactionism

Ketra L. Armstrong, “Self, Situations, and Sport Consumption: An Exploratory Study of Symbolic Interactionism,” Journal of Sport Behavior, Vol. 30, 2007, pp. 111-129.

Shannon M. Baird and Kerry R. McGannon, “Mean(ing) to Me: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to Aggression in Sport Psychology,” Quest, Vol. 61, 2009, pp. 377-396.

Dominika Byczkowska-Owczarek. “Body and Social Interaction--The Case of Dance. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective.” Qualitative Sociology Review 16 (4), 2020, pp. 164–79.

Brendan O’Hallarn, Craig A. Morehead, Mark A. Slavich, and Alicia M. Cintron. “The Circle of Unity: The Power of Symbols in a Team Sport Context.” Journal of Intercollegiate Sport 14 (1), 2021, pp.115–41.

Sexuality

Monica A. Longmore, “Symbolic Interactionism and the Study of Sexuality,” Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 35, 1998, pp. 44-57.

Ken Plummer, “Queers, Bodies, and Postmodern Sexualities: A Note on Revisiting the 'Sexual' in Symbolic Interactionism,” Qualitative Sociology, Vol. 26, 2003, pp. 515-530.

Race

Amanda L. Capannola and Elizabeth I. Johnson. “On Being the First: The Role of Family in the Experiences of First-Generation College Students.” Journal of Adolescent Research 37 (1), 2022, pp. 29–58.

Ajhanai Channel Inez Newton and Joseph N. Cooper. “‘It Doesn’t Bother Me...I’m Here for a Reason’: A Qualitative Examination of White College Athletes’ Experiences at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU).” Whiteness & Education 6 (1), 2021, pp. 39–59.

Families

Allison M. Alford, “Doing Daughtering: An Exploration of Adult Daughters’ Constructions of Role Portrayals in Relation to Mothers.” Communication Quarterly 69 (3), 2021, pp. 215–37

Christopher Johnson, Jordan Kelch, and Roxanna Johnson. “Dementia at the End of Life and Family Partners: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Communication.” Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X) 7 (3), 2017, p. 42

Julia Moore and Jenna S. Abetz. “What Do Parents Regret About Having Children? Communicating Regrets Online.” Journal of Family Issues 40 (3), 2019, pp. 390–412.

The Pygmalion Effect

Larry W. Howard, Thomas Li-Ping Tang, and M. Jill Austin, “Teaching Critical Thinking Skills: Ability, Motivation, Intervention, and the Pygmalion Effect,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 128, 2015, pp. 133-147.

Len Karakowsky, Nadia DeGama, and Kenneth McBey, “Deconstructing Higgins: Gender Bias in the Pygmalion Phenomenon,” Gender in Management: An International Journal, Vol. 32, 2017, pp. 2-18.

William P. Nye, “George Herbert Mead and the Paradox of Prediction,” Sociology of Religion, 38, 1977, pp. 91-105.