Symbolic Interactionism, Dramatism, and Narrative Theory

-

1. Symbolic Interactionism,
Dramatism, & Narrative Theory
•It’s a dance--communication is, we work it
out
•We create signs, symbols, meanings
messages, discourses, though not a waltz
•Interactionists claim it’s a tango, never done
by just one person

2. More Introduction
•There’s structure, but it’s dam building or barn
raising
•It’s on the job or at the party’s bunch bowl that
communication is constructed. Messages and even
meanings are constructed
•Past theories had a strong psychologically bases.
•These have a sociologically bases.

3. Even More Introduction
•Watch Children at play--they create all sorts
of symbols, meaning games, dances
•Dramatististic/Narrative approaches claim
that interactionism produces dramas/stories.
•Key theorists: Bormann, Burke, Fisher

4. The Assumptions of the
Symbolic Interactionists
•Human understanding is achieved by assigning meaning to
experience.
•Meanings are learned in interactions.
–e.g. Texas 55
•All social structures and institutions are created by
interaction between individuals.
–e.g. MSU-Billings

5. More on Assumptions
•Social realities are created and recreated by
interaction
–Burkes stove
•Mind is a mirror of interaction between
persons.
–Thoughts reflect life in society or your looking
at your/our mind

6. More on Assumptions
•Behavior is enacted in the social group
through interaction. (Created during
experience)
–ex. Acting out or “alone I would never . . .”
•Behavior can only be understood by
ascertaining the individual’s meanings for
the behavior and the meaning is in the
symbolic interaction mirror, thus motive

7. So . . .
•Follows nicely from systems theory
•Families and stories
–Religion and my family
•Marketing
•Chaining, Fantasy Themes, Rhetorical
Visions
•Cultures

8. First Ernest Bormann
•Convergence Theory
•Studied Group Communication--Bales and
Yale U. ‘72
•“Then one day while looking at coherence
in groups . . .”

9. More on Bormann
•Chaining
•Peoples visions of reality formed by stories
created interaction
•Fantasy Themes are stories told in small
groups
•Fantasy Themes get chained out in society

10. Fantasy Themes
•Cheyenne Chronicle
–Manifest Destiny
•Your best friends
•Mayoral Elections
–e.g. Cragan and Shields
•Sonja and the ERA

11. Bormann Applied
•Marketing or how to make money with
Bormann
•The Iowa Firm

12. Kenneth Burke
•The Unending Conversation
•A little background and some fun

13. Burke’s Ideas
•Wide ranging powerful theory of symbols
and interaction
•Distinguishes action (purposeful or choice)
from motion or non-purposeful
communication e.g. animals
•Action involves symbol use
•Reality is mediated through symbols and
their meanings

14. More
•Symbols expiate guilt
•Guilt is caused by the negative or the
proscriptive nature of language
•Guilt is caused by the perception of
imperfection or the perfection principle
•Perfection is also caused by social hierarchy
•It leads to mystification

15. More on Burke
•Major function of communication is to rid
ourselves of guilt
•Communication involves consubstantiality
or sharing of substance
•Communication and persuasion are
increased when identification results
between people

16. More on Burke
•Three kinds of identification
–Material--objects ex. fishing
–Idealistic--ideas ex. Religion
–Formal--forms of communication e.g. novels

17. And More on Burke
•Communication can also result in division
or separation between people
•Mystification occurs when one identifies
with a charismatic person much higher in
the hierarchy
•Strategies are used to achieve identification
or division

18. Even More on Burke
•Actions using symbols results in drama
•To analysis dramas he uses the pentad
–Act=what is done
–Agent=who done it
–Scene=where it was done
–Agency=vehicle through which the act is
accomplished
–Purpose= reason for the act

19. Lets do one . . .
•I kings 3:16 “The Wise King”
–Act?
–Agent?
–Scene?
–Agency?
–Purpose?

20. Weighing Ratios
•Which of the elements is dominant?
•Compare and contrast through a calculus
•So, which element is dominant?

21. Now for a Philosophy
•Corresponding philosophic terminology
–Act=realism
–Agent=idealism
–Scene=materialism
–Agency=pragmaticism
–Purpose=mysticism

22. What about you and me?
•Would you analysis your own
communication?
•How could you?

23. Fisher
•Homo Narran
•All rationality is based on narrative
•Persuasion is based on the acceptance of
good reasons
•Two Criteria for judging stories
–Coherence--Holds together
–Fidelity--Rings true

24. Let’s tell a story
•Once upon a time . . .