Interactionism Flashcards
Explain Symbolic interactionism
symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society. Communication—the exchange of meaning through language and symbols—is believed to be the way in which people make sense of their social worlds.
According to Herman and Reynolds ( 1994), how does this perspective see people
Theorists Herman and Reynolds (1994) note that this perspective sees people as being active in shaping the social world rather than simply being acted upon.
Who coined the term symbolic interactionism
George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) founder of symbolic interactionism though he never published his work, student, Herbert Blumer, coined the term “symbolic interactionism”
What do our experiences symbolise
Our experience of this symbolic interaction means we acquire knowledge about what is appropriate behaviour in situations, we learn that particular context demand different responses e.g. drinking and dancing at a party is appropriate yet the same behaviour at a funeral isn’t.
Outline the basic premises of Symbolic interactionism according to Blumer 1969
Humans interact with things based on meanings ascribed to those things;
The ascribed meaning of things comes from our interactions with others and society;
The meanings of things are interpreted by a person when dealing with things in specific circumstances (Blumer 1969)
