By Francis Von Mann 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2025) — Dr. Thomas Janoski, professor emeritus of Sociology in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has published a new book, “Rethinking Symbolic Interactionism” with Edward Elgar Publishing. 

The book offers a fresh look at one of sociology’s most influential theories, symbolic interactionism, which explores how people create meaning through everyday interaction. Janoski revisits classic ideas about the “self” and “generalized other” and connects them to larger social structures, such as institutions, inequality and power. 

A former director of UK’s Quantitative Initiative for Policy and Social Science, Janoski has written or edited more than a dozen books on topics including citizenship, civil society, unemployment and global production. His earlier works include “The Ironies of Citizenship and Citizenship” and “Civil Society,” both published by Cambridge University Press. 

He presented his latest research this summer at the American Sociological Association’s annual meeting, where scholars discussed new directions in social psychology and theory. 

Janoski taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and Duke University before joining UK more than 20 years ago. In addition to his research, he is active in the community as a Special Olympics swim coach and musician.