Symbollic interactionism in Sociology

Uploded by Muhib Ur Rahman

1. “SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM”
Farhan Ahmad
Sociology Departnment
QAU Islamabad Pakistan
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2. -Symbolic interaction theories focus on the
interpretation (social meaning) that is given to
behaviour, and on the way such interpretation
helps to construct the social world, the identities
of people, and, ultimately how they behave.
- All interaction theories are concerned with the
way in which meaning is constructed.
Symbolic Interaction Theories
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3. 1. Humans have capacity for thought.
2. Thought is shaped by social interaction.
3. Through interaction, people learn symbols
and meanings that allow them to think.
4. Meanings and symbols allow for human
action.
5. People can interpret a situation and modify
their action or interaction.
6. People can create own meanings.
7. Groups and societies are made up of patterns
of action and interaction.
Basic Principles
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4. INTRODUCTION
George Herbert Mead was born in South Hadley,
Massachusetts in February of 1863.
In 1894 , Mead moved from The University of
Michigan to Chicago, Illinois, where he would
later become the center of the sociological
department at The University of Chicago.
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5. INTRODUCTION CONT’D
After Mead’s death in 1931 his students at the
University published his Mind, Self, and Society
teachings.
Herbert Blumer, Mead’s pupil, further developed
his theory and coined it “Symbolic
Interactionism.”
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6. INTRODUCTION CONT’D
This theory is the process of interaction in the
formation of meanings for individuals.
In simple form, people act based on symbolic
meanings they find within a given situation.
The goals of our interactions are to create a
shared meaning.
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7. EVOLUTION & PRAGMATISM
-Charles Darwin’s model provides the means of understanding and discovering all
behaviors, those of humans included.
-Mead’s attraction to Darwin rests on his emphasis on process, specifically, the idea
that process gives rise to different forms.
-Although Mead would become one of the key figures in the development of
pragmatism, he was initially introduced to it by John Dewey, William James, and
James Baldwin.
-“If Dewey gave range and vision, Mead gave analytical depth and scientific
precision.”
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8. GEORGE ROBERT MEAD (1863-1931)
-Was born in Massachusetts and entered Oberlin College at the age of 16.
-After graduation, earned his graduate degree from Harvard.
-Taught philosophy and psychology at the University of Michigan. After 1893 taught
at the University of Chicago until his death.
-Believed people have the capacity to think and decide on their own how they should
act in certain situations.
-Their reactions are based on their perceptions and definitions of the
situation.
-People cope with the reality of things according to their comprehension of the
situation.
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9. Mind, Self, and Society
-Views the mind as a process, a conversation within itself.
-People have the capacity to control their responses to the
environment.
-Self involves the process where actors reflect on themselves as objects.
-Develops from social forces and social experience.
-Society cannot exist without minds and self.
-Humans have ability to manipulate environment so multiple societies
exist.
The ‘I’ and ‘Me’
-I is source of creativity and spontaneity.
-Me is formed from the perceptions others’ actions and views, including own thoughts
on oneself.
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10. Development of Self
1.Imitation stage- understanding gestures.
2.Play stage- learned use of language and meanings of certain symbols.
3.Game stage- understanding the roles of others and abiding by the rules.
The Act
1.Impulse- gut reactions or the need to do something.
2.Perception- use of senses and mental images to satisfy the impulse.
3.Manipulation- taking some conscious effort in regard of impulse.
4.Consummation- act of satisfying the impulse.
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11. The Social Act and Gestures
-The stimulus creates an impulse that triggers possible reactions by people in the
environment.
-Mead emphasizes the importance of the vocal gesture (verbal communication).
-Shared language increases efficiency.
-Can hear ourselves talking, therefore carries same meaning between
listener and speaker.
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12. Herbert Blumer came up with three basic
principles for his theory.
Meaning, Language, and Thought.
These three principles lead to conclusions about
the creation of a persons self and socialization
into a larger community.
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13. HERBERT BLUMER (1900-1987)
-Taught sociology at the University of Chicago from 1927 to 1952.
-Completed doctoral dissertation in 1928 under guidance of Ellsworth Faris, a disciple
of George Herbert Mead.
-Blumer was one of sociology’s most prominent and esteemed practitioners.
-Leading spokesperson for the Chicago style of symbolic
interactionism for an entire generation.
-Believed that humans construct their own actions and are free of internal drives.
-Additionally, actions are a consequence of reflexive and deliberate processes
determined by an individual in response to their environment.
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14. BLUMER (CONT.)
Symbolic Interactionism
-is a term that was coined by Blumer in 1937.
-“humans act toward things on the basis of meanings” Blumer insisted its importance,
while peers downplayed it.
-Blumer views symbolic interactionism as “a uniquely human
process” one which we must completely understand through
language and gestures.
-Must share a language to communicate effectively.
-The importance of the fact that people act depending on meanings of objects for them,
which creates profound methodological implications.
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15. BLUMER & SOCIAL THEORY
-Blumer’s focus was limited to theories grounded in empirical science.
-Acknowledged the role structure in human society:
-I.e. social roles, statues positions, rank orders, social codes, norms,
values, etc.
-Stated: “social interaction is obviously an interaction between people and not
between roles...”
-Theoretical schemes are essentially proposals as to the nature of relations between
persons and their social environments.
-Wrote Industrialization as an Agent of Social Change in an attempt to explain the role
of industrialization as a cause of social change.
-Published posthumously in 1990 by Maines and Morrione.
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16. 1
ST
PRINCIPLE
Meaning: “Making is a community project”
Meaning is something that has to be assigned
and who assigns it?
The definition of this word states that it is a
intention for a particular purpose or destination.
Blumer says that the principle of meaning is
central in human behavior
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17. MEANING CONT’D
Meaning is based on human interaction
and how we act towards other people.
We as humans, base things upon the
meanings that they have been given.
An example would be me saying, “Hey you
look great, have you lost a lot of weight?”
This statement could be taken a lot of
different ways. Perhaps the person that I
said this to takes it in the way of a
compliment, (Which is what I was giving
them) or a negative remark. The meaning
that we assign to the statement is how we
react to people and what they say.
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18. MEANING CONT’D
This theory tells us that its how people interpret
messages and statements.
Each one of us has a different meaning assigned
to different things.
To us humans the word “grass” is something that
can be defined as green, or something needed to
be cut. To animals, the word “grass” could mean
shelter or food.
Now in the case of symbols, meanings also
depend on the number of consensual responses of
those who use it. If someone uses a particular
word such as hey, to those that use it a lot, it
means hello. Now for those people that are
ambiguous to it, it could mean a totally different
thing to them.
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19. 2
ND
PRINCIPLE
Language: “Symbolic naming for the
human society”
Language gives humans a means by
which to negotiate meaning through
symbols.
Mead believed that when you named
something, it is assigned a meaning. An
example of this would be me naming my
dog Lucifer. The meaning of this name
would be the devil, because maybe the dog
is extremely mean or bites people all of
the time.
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20. LANGUAGE
In simple terms, this principle says that when we
talk to each other, symbolic interaction means
that humans identify meaning, or naming, and
then they develop discourse, which is
communication orally
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21. 3
RD
PRINCIPLE
Thought: “Interpretation of symbols”
Thought is based on language. While in a
conversation, your mind is imagining or
thinking about the different points of view
or meanings to what the other person is
saying to you.
What this means is that once your hear
someone say something, you
automatically start thinking about what
you are going to say next. 21

22. LANGUAGE
Mead believes that “We naturally talk to
ourselves in order to sort out the meaning of a
difficult situation.”
Whatever you think of before acting to an action
or responding to a phrase is your thought. We do
this all the time without knowing or realizing it.
It is your own personal meaning that you put on
words.
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23. CONCLUSION
George Herbert Mead was a professor
whose teachings were transformed into a
theory that is well known and taught
throughout the world.
Symbolic Interactionism has only one
variable in it. The individual has its own
set of meanings for things and people.
A problem with this theory is that it does
not state whether or not an individual
wants to win and get their own way or
not. Sometimes we think that people can
also construct a sample and ask someone
if they should have a certain meaning for
this and a meaning for that.
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24. This theory doesn’t tell you if you think
this way because a person told you to or if
you think a certain way because you feel
that you need to.
George Herbert Mead died in 1931.
Although he never got around to
publishing his own teachings, he still is
considered to be one of the top sociological
theorists that have ever walked this
earth.
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25. THOUGHT
According to Blumer:
We as humans have the ability to take the role of the
other.
This allows us chances to find new meaning and different
perspectives in life.
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26. TAKING THE ROLE OF THE OTHER
This is seeing the world through another’s eyes.
Walking in someone else’s shoes
Grown up version of having imaginary friends
and talking to yourself.
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27. TO CONCLUDE
Symbolic Interactionism and its premises are built
upon communication between individuals.
Language and Thought are vital in the interpretation
of symbols.
We have and always will be affected by Language and
Thought.
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28. APPLIED SYMBOLIC INTERACTION
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29. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
The characteristics of this approach are human
interaction, interpretation or definition rather
than mere reaction, response based on meaning,
use of symbols, and interpretation between
stimulus and response
It is concerned with the interaction order of daily
life and experiences, rather than the structure.
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30. SIX APPLICATIONS OF
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
There are six different applications within the
theory of symbolic interactionism:
creating reality
meaning-ful research
generalized other
naming
symbol manipulation
the self-fulfilling prophecy
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31. CREATING REALITY
Sociologist Erving Goffman argues that everyone
is constantly negotiating with others to publicly
define our identity and the nature of the situation
in the creating reality application.
The impression of reality is a delicate and fragile
thing that can be shattered.
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32. MEANING-FUL RESEARCH
In meaning-ful research, Mead claims that
research occurs through participant
observation.
Mead believes that behavioral experimental
and survey research are void of the meaning
of the experience.
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33. GENERALIZED OTHER
Generalized other is described as the combined
mental image of others in a community, their
expectations, and possible responses to one’s
self.
In symbolic interaction, there is a tragic
potential of negative responses consequently
reducing a person to perceiving themselves as
nothing.
The generalized other is a combination of all of
the looking glass selves that others give us.
The looking glass self is imaging how we look to
others.
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34. NAMING
Naming is what we would call name-calling,
such as retard, slut, liar, ugly, etc.
Name-calling can be devastating because it
forces us to view ourselves through a warped
mirror.
These grotesque images are not easily
dispelled and can be very hurtful and
damaging. This is shown in a clip from the
T.V. show South Park.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LGBYVnkSqis
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35. SYMBOL MANIPULATION
Symbol Manipulation is the process in which
symbols incite people to unite into action.
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36. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
Each and everyone of us affects how
others view themselves.
Predictions in the self-fulfilling prophecy
may be false but made true by one’s
actions. One’s prophecy is simply a
possibility that is made into probability by
one’s unconscious or conscious actions.
Our expectations evoke responses that
confirm what we originally anticipated,
resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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37. 37

38. THE PERSONALITY
STRUCTURE
The outer layers are
the first to be
penetrated and include
more public
information.
Gradual disclosure will
lead to more
understanding of each
individual.
Once penetrated, it will
be easier to return to
inner layers.
Goals and
aspirations
Preferences in food,
music, clothes
Biographical
data
Religious
views
Deeply held fears
and fantasiesConcept of
self
Source: Griffen, E. (2007). A first look at communication theory
(6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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39. FOR THE EXAM...
Define these terms as they are used by symbolic interactionists:
-Presentation of self (Goffman): An identity that one presents to others in an attempt to manage their impression of him or her. We act a certain way so others
view us in this certain way.
-Dramaturgy (Goffman): Method of analyzing social interactions in the form of a play. We are the actors, we present ourselves in a specific way in the front
stage and act as we truly are in the back stage.
-Stigma (Goffman): Describes a mark of disgrace. Sometimes in physical form other times as poor personality traits (weak or dishonest).
-Emotion culture (Hochschild): A series of ideas about how and what people are supposed to experience in given situations.
Describe how Herbert Blumer defines the relationship between symbolic interactionism and social methodology.
-Symbolic interactionism is the idea that humans act toward objects on the basis of the meanings that the things have for them. And the meaning of the objects
is brought on by the social interaction with one’s peers. Blumer’s social methodology took a naturalistic approach (study of conduct and group life as these
occur in everyday existence). He also stressed the need for exploratory studies.
Describe the key perspective by which symbolic interactionists view society.
-The presentation of self and the fact that human communication, through gestures and language, and interaction often involve attempts to manage one’s image
and evironment.
What do sociologists gain by viewing society from the perspective of symbolic interactionism?
-Process of interaction is best-understood dimension of the social universe because of the social methodology. Social methodology allows researchers to be
flexible and form comprehensive acquaintance with a study that is unknown to them.
Describe one key limitation to the way that the symbolic interactionists view society.
-Ignores class structure and socioeconomic factors.
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