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Benedict, Ruth. Patterns of Culture. New York: Penguin Books, 1946. Benedict is one of the most famous of the early cultural anthropologists. In this classic she explores the relationship between culture and personality.
Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books, 1959. Goffman is not easy reading, but he is well worth the effort. If you take the time to read him slowly and thoughtfully, you’ll find insights on every page. But watch out—Goffman can be addicting. After reading him, you won’t view the world the same again.
Hewitt, John P. Self and Society: A Symbolic Interactionist Social Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002. If you want to explore the complex relationship between self, society, and communication, then you need to understand a school of thought known as symbolic interactionism. This is one of the easiest introductions to this important field.
Paley, Vivan G. Bad Guys Don’t Have Birthdays. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991. Paley observes and reports on the fantasy play of nursery school children in this amusing and fascinating book. As she traces the stories the children cooperatively create, she demonstrates how narrative can be used to banish fears and build connections.
Paley, Vivian G. A Child’s Work: The Importance of Childhood Play. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. This highly readable book explores the ways children use language in role-playing and story-telling in ways that carry through into their adult lives.
Wood, Julia T. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture, 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/Cenage Learning, 2010. One of the roles we perform constantly is gender. This book was written to give students more choice about how they enact gender and deal with gender issues; it explores how gender differences in communication are created and maintained through cultural customs, including family patterns, organizational rituals, and media practices.