symbolic interactionism Flashcards
what is interactionism?
a collection of social action theories
what are the main ideas behind interactionism
- individuals interpret the behaviours of others to understand what they are thinking and how they should behave
- in any social context we look for signs and symbols to understand meaning- this meaning is socially constructed and guides us in norms, it can be a form of social control and people use their own experience and culture to interpret them
symbolic interactionism
individuals react based on their knowledge of signs and symbols, differing based on social contexts
labelling theory
individuals are often categorised superficially.
label applied -> label internalised -> self fulfilling prophecy -> master status (living up to the label to the extent that is overrides the person’s other characteristics)
looking-glass self (Cooley)
- self image is influenced by our perceptions about how we are being percieved by others
- this helps us to understand how people are influenced from how they think others see them
- this can be exemplified by social media, people post content that they think will make other people see them positively
- however, people might misinterpret the way that others see them
dramaturgical model (Goffman)
- individuals take on different roles based on social contexts, performing actions that society expects us to. true self is ‘backstage’
- there are multiple front stages and a different role is played every time, they all require a different script
- only 1 backstage exists which is most private and ties together impression management when the performance is over (only a few people know about someone’s backstage)
- however, even the backstage can be performative in their private lives through social media
4 core ideas: what is a symbol?
- when we group things together so that not every single thing has to be unique (too confusing), the name of thr group is instead called a ‘symbol’
- ‘Trees’ would be the symbol that we use to socially classify trees, because although all trees look different, they are still grouped together as a tree.
4 core ideas: impact of symbols
- symbols are not always neutral and will evoke different feelings for different people
- symbols carry with them meaning, which suggests a possible course of action
- however, the course of action we feel is appropriate to take may not be shared by everybody.
- for example, ‘terrorist’ or ‘gay people’ will be interpreted with different connotations by different people
4 core ideas: what do interactionists say about the self?
- in order for people to respond and act upon the meaning that symbols have for them, they first have to know who they are within this world of symbols and meanings
COOLEY: we see ourselves through the eyes of others, ‘looking glass self’
- this was developed by labelling theorists into the self fulfilling prophecy- individuals are labelled in a certain way and they come to see themselves in that way, beginning to live up to the label. This is like a mirror telling us what sort of person we are
MEAD: distinguished 2 aspects of the self:
- ‘me’= how you see yourself in a role in society
- ‘I’= your opinion on yourself as a whole, self-concept
4 core ideas: game playing
-Blumer suggests that the notion of the self is developed during childhood, when game-playing
- when engaging in a game with others, we learn various social roles and how they interact with the roles of others
- we imagine ourselves as the other person and try to understand their behaviour from our point of view- this helps us understand others’ actions and helps us decide how we should respond-empathy.
4 core ideas: the interaction
- the interaction is where the symbol and the self come together
- to interact, people have to know what the other person is thinking
- this involves reading the situation correctly through the viewpoint of the other, and then responding in terms of how you see your own personality
- there is a great scope for misunderstanding, error, and confusion, so all people in an interaction must actively engage in constructing the situation, reading the rules and symbols correctly
front stage
performance put on in a social setting
backstage
where you can be yourself
impression management
how people try to convince others of the identity they wish to project through front stage and back stage
criticisms of dramaturgical model
- ‘private matters’ vs public society is a harmful conservative idea- it has been used to conceal backstage domestic violence
- people are more open and authentic now, society has become more accepting of people that don’t fit moralistic norms
- neurodivergent people are ignored who don’t know how to behave, perform, interpret or just refuse to conform to this
