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Most of the original work of the interactionist perspective focused attention on crime and deviance and subsequently, as this perspective lost much of its appeal in the late 1970's, it has come under increasing attack. Before analysing the specific criticisms that have been levelled at the interactionist ideas concerning crime deviance, it is it is essential to provide a thorough critique of the more general aspects of interactionism.The interactionist analysis of conventioal sociology was …

…dismissed. Attempts have been made to resolve the main weakness of interactionism - its inability to explain historical change or the effects social organisation upon the behaviour of individuals. Such attempts have involved the combination of Marxist theory with the most useful aspects of interactionism. In practice, this has required the use of interactionists methods of investigaton (such as participant observation) along with Marxist concepts of social analysis (such as social class, exploitation and power).