The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada
In this paper, I discuss the invaluable role played by William Shaffir, my mentor and doctoral supervisor, who shaped my approach to interpretive fieldwork and deepened my understanding of symbolic interactionist theory. Known affectionately as Billy to his colleagues and students, Shaffir is a gif...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Lodz University Press
2020-04-01
|
Series: | Qualitative Sociology Review |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/qualit/article/view/7631 |
_version_ | 1819043756621430784 |
---|---|
author | Jacqueline Low |
author_facet | Jacqueline Low |
author_sort | Jacqueline Low |
collection | DOAJ |
description | In this paper, I discuss the invaluable role played by William Shaffir, my mentor and doctoral supervisor, who shaped my approach to interpretive fieldwork and deepened my understanding of symbolic interactionist theory. Known affectionately as Billy to his colleagues and students, Shaffir is a gifted educator and one of the finest ethnographic researchers of his generation. My focus is on how the scholarly tradition that flows from Georg Simmel through Robert Park, Herbert Blumer, and Everett C. Hughes, passed from Billy on to me, is illustrative of what Low and Bowden (2013) conceptualize as the Chicago School Diaspora. This concept does not refer to the scattering of a people, but rather to how key ideas and symbolic representations of key figures associated with the Chicago School have been taken up by those who themselves are not directly affiliated with the University of Chicago. In this regard, while not a key figure of the Chicago School himself, Shaffir stands at the boundary between the Chicago School of sociology and scholars with no official relationship to the School. As such he is a principal interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canadian Sociology. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:01:51Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-ff97c28199b242a29e5919fa940336e5 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1733-8077 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:01:51Z |
publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
publisher | Lodz University Press |
record_format | Article |
series | Qualitative Sociology Review |
spelling | doaj.art-ff97c28199b242a29e5919fa940336e52022-12-21T19:07:55ZengLodz University PressQualitative Sociology Review1733-80772020-04-01162142610.18778/1733-8077.16.2.027631The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in CanadaJacqueline Low0University of New Brunswick, CanadaIn this paper, I discuss the invaluable role played by William Shaffir, my mentor and doctoral supervisor, who shaped my approach to interpretive fieldwork and deepened my understanding of symbolic interactionist theory. Known affectionately as Billy to his colleagues and students, Shaffir is a gifted educator and one of the finest ethnographic researchers of his generation. My focus is on how the scholarly tradition that flows from Georg Simmel through Robert Park, Herbert Blumer, and Everett C. Hughes, passed from Billy on to me, is illustrative of what Low and Bowden (2013) conceptualize as the Chicago School Diaspora. This concept does not refer to the scattering of a people, but rather to how key ideas and symbolic representations of key figures associated with the Chicago School have been taken up by those who themselves are not directly affiliated with the University of Chicago. In this regard, while not a key figure of the Chicago School himself, Shaffir stands at the boundary between the Chicago School of sociology and scholars with no official relationship to the School. As such he is a principal interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canadian Sociology.https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/qualit/article/view/7631herbert blumergeorge herbert meadgeorg simmeleverett c. hugheswilliam shaffirsymbolic interactionismfieldwork methodthe chicago schoolthe chicago school diaspora |
spellingShingle | Jacqueline Low The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada Qualitative Sociology Review herbert blumer george herbert mead georg simmel everett c. hughes william shaffir symbolic interactionism fieldwork method the chicago school the chicago school diaspora |
title | The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada |
title_full | The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada |
title_fullStr | The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada |
title_full_unstemmed | The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada |
title_short | The Hughesian Legacy: William Shaffir—A Principal Interpreter of the Chicago School Diaspora in Canada |
title_sort | hughesian legacy william shaffir a principal interpreter of the chicago school diaspora in canada |
topic | herbert blumer george herbert mead georg simmel everett c. hughes william shaffir symbolic interactionism fieldwork method the chicago school the chicago school diaspora |
url | https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/qualit/article/view/7631 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT jacquelinelow thehughesianlegacywilliamshaffiraprincipalinterpreterofthechicagoschooldiasporaincanada AT jacquelinelow hughesianlegacywilliamshaffiraprincipalinterpreterofthechicagoschooldiasporaincanada |