Social Action basics

Question 1

What are the three core ideas of symbolic interactionism (Mead 1934, Blumer 1962)?

Answer 1

The symbol - we group and classify objects, these may evoke feelings which may or may not be shared
The self - people must know who they are, we must be able to see ourselves in the eyes of others (Blumer - we develop this in childhood through play)
The interaction - when symbol and self meet; reading the situation from another’s perspective and responding according to how one sees their own personality

Question 2

What is Goffman’s dramaturgical approach?

Answer 2

People work out and adapt strategies for dealing with others - social interaction is best understood as a loosely scripted ‘play’

Question 3

Who developed labelling theory?

Answer 3

Becker (1963)

Question 4

Who found the process of mortification in a mental hospital?

Answer 4

Goffman (1961) - due to it being a ‘total institution’ an individuals identity was destroyed and rebuilt in the collctive image

Question 5

What are the stages of Becker’s self fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 5

Label given, predictions made
Person is treated as if label was correct
Person internalized label, behaviour affected
Rosenthal and Jackson (1968) proved this in their ‘spurters’ study