Symbolic Interaction Theory Case Study

The Symbolic Interaction theory offers a few different reasons and some possible solutions to Sam and Jackie’s issue at hand. Reasoning as to why two individuals can interpret or feel different about the same situation, can be explained by the assumption that meaning is an important element in human behavior. This assumption explains that individuals will respond to events based on the meaning it has for them. Looking at this a little deeper, it explains that something that has a great importance to one individual may have very little importance to another. This would explain why this party means so much more for Sam compared to Jackie. Sam is up for a big promotion, and thinks that this party is his ticket to be awarded this promotion. Jackie

This assumption takes into consideration Charles Cooley’s writing, “Looking Glass Self”. According to this, an individual considers how others see and feel about them, and then include those beliefs within their own concept of self. Sam displays this by wanting to make a good impression on the people in charge, so they will see him as a hard working and loyal employee of the company. If Sam does not receive the promotion, that would leave him feeling as thought the individuals higher up do not find him deserving, which in turns causes him to feel like a failure. Jackie considers the gestures Sam is using, displays her in a negative light to the other partygoers. For example, she feels like Sam is keeping her close all night (always holding her hand, not letting her talk others alone, and keeps giving her more wine) as a way to avoid her embarrassing him among his colleagues. Sam on the other hand, believes that by using these types of gestures he is only enhancing Jackie’s time at the party. He only understands that Jackie is unhappy when he sees the symbol of Jackie’s facial expression given when he mentions hosting the next party. Due to previous interactions, Sam is able to tell right away that Jackie is not enjoying herself as much as him based on the facial expression she

One possible solution they could try out is for Sam to let Jackie mingle among other guest alone. Jackie in turn, would feel less restrained during her time at the party and essentially feel more relaxed. Sam could also suggest and provide Jackie some time to call the babysitter and check up on Julie. This would essentially ease Jackie’s mind, and allow her to enjoy the party more. Stepping out of the party for a little while could also be done as a way to resolve some of the tension. Jackie is not a fan of how loud the band is, so if her and Sam stepped out together for a few minutes Jackie could relax a little bit. Another solution for this problem at hand, may be for Jackie to acknowledge how much this means to Sam and just push through it. It may take a little bit of each of these solutions to fix the conflict between Sam and Jackie. A compromise may need to be reached in order to make this event a positive experience for both Sam and