Theory 3 Symbolic Interactionism Questions What is a

Theory 3: Symbolic Interactionism

Questions • What is a symbol? • How important do you think symbols are in your life? • What are examples of symbols in American society or your life?

What is a symbol? • Symbol: An item/object that has meaning and has hidden value/meaning in other social situations. • EX: Dove is a bird, but also a sign for peace

Symbolic Interactionists • • George Herbert Mead Herbert Blumer Erving Goffman Howard Becker

Symbolic Interactionism • Symbolic Interactionism: believe that the root of society comes from its symbols.

Symbolic Interactionism • Pick one of these images and write down as many things as you can that relate to the image (Feelings, objects, people, etc)

Symbolic Interactionism • Symbolic Interactionists: focuses on how communication influences the way people interact with each other, to create the social world in which we live. – They suggest that the symbols we use are random, meaning that they vary from culture to culture. – Hand gestures • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=dbs. Oy. Le. I 6 Q 8

Symbolic Interactionism • Our definition of what has value depends on our understanding of it. • Context and setting affects our understanding of a social event. • Social order is the result when the members of society share common definitions of what is appropriate. – Nazi party, democratic party, republican party, communist party, etc…. .

Symbolic Interactionism • Micro-level: theory that focuses on one person at a time • Symbolic Theorists take individual behavior and apply this to the larger focus behavior – People develop standards and norms through a process of interacting with others

George Herbert Mead • George Herbert Mead is the father of Symbolic Interactionism • Suggests that at the center/root of society, there are symbols to understand the world around us. – We then use these symbols to develop a sense of self identity. • Symbols make us realize self awareness of beliefs

Mead • It is this identity/self that we then take into the world and interact with other identities (people’s personality) to create society. • Thus, building blocks of society start with our minds, where we interpret symbols.

Mead • Mead suggests that we discover a sense of who we are through micro interactions we have every day. – Day-to-day interactions with others • Various social symbols enter our minds, where their meaning is interpreted – These social symbols then tell us how to react. • Never-ending process, therefore, we always have a sense of who we are.

Mead • Our “self” (identity) can change – they do change based on how we interpret the symbols thrown our way. • This is why it is hard to understand why people do things out of the ordinary of society • Self is your identity, it’s what makes you who you are and separates you from others

Herbert Blumer • Came up with 3 rules of symbolic interaction – Humans act a certain way towards symbol/s because of the meaning that society assigns to the symbol/s. +How we act when we see a symbol (Mc. Donald's) – A symbols meaning comes from social interaction that one has with others. + Meaning comes from interactions. (Smile) – The meaning of symbols can change when a person is put into different social situations. +Individual determines meaning themselves and apply the correct meaning in different situations

Erving Goffman • Goffman developed a theory called dramaturgy. – a theory of interaction in which all life is like acting. • People are constantly “acting” in order to convince people of the character/role/status they wish to portray to the outside world. – Person is Not faking character – People are concerned about what the rest of the world will think of them • adjust their social interactions accordingly.

Howard Becker • Becker suggests that human action is related to the labels attached to it. • In his book, Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Becker suggests that a label is attached to a certain behavior when a group with powerful social status labels it deviant.

Howard Becker • He suggests that deviance is rooted in the reactions and responses of others to an individuals acts. • Becker would suggest that the label we ascribe to people has a major influence on their behavior.

Criticisms of Symbolic Interactionism • Critics of symbolic interactionism suggest that his perspective ignores the coercive effects of social structure, focusing too much on the power of the individual to co-create his or her world.

Symbol assignment • Create a new symbol for the city you made. – Below are a few examples used for the United States. • Make sure yours is original and not closely related to other images that are widely known/accepted. • Draw this image on some computer paper • Give a 2 -3 sentence explanation of your symbol