In the authors' own words, the enterprise of this volume is: (1) "to elaborate a theory of human conduct" and (2) "to explain the Who, What, When, and Where of social interaction in terms of this characteristic 'social conflict' in which all a person's acts are 'anticipated, checked, inhibited, or modified by the gestures and intentions of his fellows.' " The scope of the book is further characterized by a description on the cover that reads "an examination of human associations in everyday life."
The content of the book is presented in nine chapters and an epilogue. The chapters range from considerations such as "The Philosophy of Conduct" to "The Career of a Relationship," and revolve around the various aspects of assuming roles, perceiving the roles of others, and a person's alteration of his own behavior when interacting with others. The authors are sociologists, and the