The focal point of this paper is symbolic interaction. This theory states that all social interactions are merely a front that individuals and groups present to maintain social norms and be socially accepted. This theory looks at every aspect of an individual’s social interaction and how they are used to uphold existing norms and maintain cohesion, if only superficially, to be accepted and like. Human interaction is based on the meaning behind actions and not actions directly. Responses are intended to be understood a certain way and are in response to the perceived meaning of others’ actions. An unfortunate aspect of this is that people perceive and believe all actions within their vicinity are directed at them. Peoples actions can be viewed …show more content…
I start my day trying to maintain a fatherly role, when needed, and this can include making lunches, getting kids dressed and feed, doing procedural things that need to get done. These are all very consistant acts, but their tone is determined by how receptive the kids are. The mornings that seem to instigate more defiance calls for a firmer response, while other mornings require little monitoring. All these actions are done in the hopes of stimulating respect and independence all while explaining the reasoning behind my actions to facilitate understanding and hopefully growth. I want to care for them and give them everything I can, but I want them to appreciate and understand rather then expect and be ignorant. This means that my interaction with them is in hopes that their reaction will be socially acceptable. I also conduct myself in this manor because it matches my significant others parenting style. This cohesion and shared objective is something that we both value, our goal is to create an environment in which we all understand one another because this will decrease stress at …show more content…
I always try to arrive on time to class. I do not like to show up late to class, I believe this is disrespectful to my professors. I also interpret this as an intrusion to my classmates. My interpretation is dissatisfaction, irritation and all around negative views and I would rather be absent then evoke that level of perceived negativity towards my action. I also try to be a little early to have my things set up. I already mentioned I don’t like disrupting class and this also includes pulling things out of my backpack and causing basically any noise that is not conducive to learning. This makes me stress about being on time and ready for class. I try to maintain interest and involvement, even if my focus and energy seem nonexistent, because its expected. I want to be looked at as a good student and I want to maintain this positive relationship because it will hypothetically lead to a positive learning
The symbolic interactionist perspective is one of the main sociological theories used. It is analyzed on a microlevel and states that how people define a situation becomes the foundation for how they behave. This theory has two parts to it, the significance of interactions between two or more individuals, and the significance of symbols. Symbols are people’s means of distinguishing and defining themselves from other people. A few examples of symbols are hand gestures, money, written languages, and clothes. Symbolic interaction transpires when individuals interact through the utilization of the symbols. An example of symbolic interaction is when people in a neighborhood give the individual(s) that have just moved into that neighborhood food
George Herbert Mead’s perspective of symbolic interaction theory “relies on the symbolic meaning that people develop and rely upon in the process of social interaction. It analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors.” I have applied Mead’s theory to an opportunity I was given a couple weeks ago, to tour the San Luis Obispo County Jail. Prior to the tour, a jail was merely a strange concept to me; something I had seen in movies and television shows. It was something that I had never given much thought to, because I had just accepted it for how it was. The tour provided me with a lot of insight into how a jail is run, along with how much work and organization it takes to keep it
Symbolic interactionism is the study of how people negotiate the meaning of social life during their interactions with other people. I thought all black guys had the same speech. I used to think they were loud,
In symbolic interaction we communicate with other people through roles that we assign to them, the way we label them, or how we act in accordance to what this person symbolizes to us. Often we assign labels, or roles to other people by knowing them from before. It is focused on individual interactions with other people, things or the events. One thing can symbolize one thing to me, but it can mean something else to another individual. Since we view the same thing differently, we will interact towards that thing or individual in different ways. An example of this is, rainy day for my kids means fun in the water, walking through mud, and just enjoying the day. To me the same rainy day means, lots of dirty clothes, mud all over the floor. It is important to remember that someone’s symbolic interaction can change. It is fully focused on micro sociology, only focusing on interactions between individuals. It states that we interact and change according to our prior experiences and interactions. Two sociologists that are identified with this theory are Max Weber and George Mead. Action depends
For the symbolic interactionists, individuals make sense of the world through the union and interaction with one another, initiated by a brief look at one another. George Simmel (1997:358) wrote that the eye has an exclusive sociological function. He goes on to describe this combination (looking at one another) as the most direct and natural interchange between individuals which exists anywhere. Simmel also states that by the same act in which the observer seeks to know the observed they surrender themselves to be understood by the observer. He understood that the union of “looking at one another” is no simple action but it is a distinct form of interaction.
Symbolic interactionism perspective is defined as “the study of how people negotiate the meanings of social life during their interactions with others” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas, 2014, p.27). It asserts that “we construct meaning about things that are important in our own lives and in our society” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas, 2014, p.28). These meanings derive from social interactions among individuals which
People interact with other humans every day, whether it be in a group or individual setting. When people interact with others, it can be a good or bad experience. While at work, school, or even home, people are in constant contact with each other in some form. When we are children, our friends and family influence us. As we age, our peers continue to influence us. Social influence is studying how people are affected by interacting with each other and is an interesting part of what makes us unique (Matlin, 2013). In order to understand social influence, it needs to be looked at in three main categories: conformity, compliance, and obedience. Conformity, compliance, and obedience are important factors to understanding social influence.
In sociology symbolic interactionism explains the individual in a society and their interactions with others and through that it can explain social order and change. This theory was compiled from the teachings of George Herbert Mead in the early 20th century. Mead believed that the development of the individual was a social process. People are subjected to change based on their interactions with other people, objects or events and they assign meaning to things in order to decide how to act. This perspective depends on the symbolic meaning that people depend on in the process of social interaction. This paper will examine the movie “The Blind Side” through the symbolic interaction perspective.
Sociologists view society in different ways. Sociologists use three major theories: symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory. The symbolic interactionist perspective, also known as symbolic interactionism, directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other (Cliff). Some examples of symbolic interactionism are the meaning of marriage, the meaning of divorce, the meaning of parenthood, and the meaning of love. Symbols may include wedding bands, vows of life‐long commitment, a white bridal dress, a wedding cake, a Church ceremony, and flowers and music. American society attaches general meanings to these symbols, but individuals also maintain their own perceptions of what these and other symbols mean (Cliff). Symbols have a shared social meaning that is understood by all members of society. Symbolical interactionism is analyzed at a micro-sociological level. It examines small-scale patterns of social interaction. It focuses mainly on face-to-face interaction and how people use symbols to create a social life.
The first theory we will go in detail with is symbolic interactionism. The significant idea to this theory is that symbols are the key to understanding how we view the world and communicate with on another. George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley developed this theory. People use symbols in everyday life. Without symbols we would have no sense of relationships with people. With the use of symbols, we are able to tell the difference between our aunt and uncle or brother and sister. If we didn’t have symbols to tell us the difference between the two we would have no idea what our relations to that person may be. If you think someone is your aunt you will behave
As with most group projects, I started out with a basic understanding of the issue; essentially pollution and environmental changes humans make impact the environment in very bad ways. I grew up with a family who believes in intelligent design, young earth theory, and they all vehemently deny that anything humans do cause damage to the planet- everything reported in the news or by scientists are part of a larger “Liberal Democrat conspiracy.” Thus, my views had become largely hazy and even though I pride myself on being a Liberal, educated, intelligent young person, sometimes I was unsure what was actually true or what had been dramatized or exaggerated by scientists or the media to actually get people to pay attention. In addition, I also
...ry, it is easy to notice how people need different things, and require alternate ways of studying. You notice people’s emotions and how they react to their surroundings. Some people need silence, some need music, some need space, some need distraction and some people just do it to look good.
The sociology of everyday life focuses on studying people in their natural context, ie. the everyday social world. Social interactions is viewed as a fundamental aspect of understanding society and how social reality is constructed. The scrutiny of our social world in micro-sociology reveals that our everyday routines and social interactions produce an appearance of stability and continuity in our social life, when in fact, our social reality is profoundly fragile. This essay explores two different forms of sociological analysis, Symbolic Interactionism and Dramaturgy, through the arguments presented by George Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman respectively, and are both equally influential in their contributions to micro-sociology. Both sociologists
Symbols is an object that represent an idea. Symbols can take the forms of words and visual images (Sandstrom, 2010). Symbols any kind of physical, social, or abstract object to which people assign a name, meaning, or value (Sandstrom, 2010). For example a red stop mean stop or on a map picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Almost everyone has worked in teams at some point in their lives. Within those teams, communication is crucial between all members, regardless of what role each person plays. Interactionists focus on how symbols are used during interaction. Symbolic interaction is certain gestures that people use when they greeting each other. Symbols are means of complex communication often have multiple levels of meaning (Solomon, 2010). Symbols can carry different meaning depending upon one’s cultural background. But what about the game of basketball? From language barriers to cultural differences to living alone in a new country to trying to fit into a new environment, their learning curve goes far beyond
George Herbert Mead begins his discussion of symbolic interactionism (talking with others) by defining three core principles that deal with meaning, language, and thought. The theory states that meaning is the construction of social reality. Humans act toward people or things on the basis of the meanings they assign to those people or things.