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Bridging the Gap: On the Collaboration between Symbolic Interactionism and Distributed Artificial Intelligence in the Field of Multi‐Agent Systems Research
Author(s) -
Strübing Jörg
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1525/si.1998.21.4.441
Subject(s) - symbolic interactionism , interactionism , sociology , epistemology , field (mathematics) , reflexivity , discipline , computer science , social science , mathematics , philosophy , pure mathematics
This article discusses the relationship in the U.S. between current symbolic interactionism and computer sciences—specifically, distributed artificial intelligence (DAI). The general thesis is twofold. First, current interactionist approaches to organization, science, and technology show a special affinity to goals and problems of DAI research, and in research style, methods, and theoretical concepts, symbolic interactionism can provide useful suggestions in the design of DAI systems. Second, a good way to analyze the relationship between computer sciences and symbolic interactionism is reflexive of theoretical concepts provided by interactionist approaches. In this sense, DAI is a “going concern” which extends across various fields and intersecting social worlds connected through a set of conceptual “boundary objects.” It is concluded that the interaction between technology and sociological thought must go beyond a mere exchange of ideas. What is required is continual, hands‐on, trans‐disciplinary collaboration.