We act toward people and things based on the meaning we interpret from them. Functionalism, the conflict theory and symbolic interactionism are three distinct and common sociological perspectives that share differences and similarities due to the methods in which they evaluate society. And your interactions are different based on the society in which you live. Gender can be understood through symbolic interactionism because gender is a sociological construct. The American flag to some is a symbol of freedom, hope, and pride. This is a micro theory as it gives more agency to actors in understanding their actions. In other words, action follows meaning. In colorism, people of the same racial identification are treated differently based on the lightness or darkness of their skin. This image, from the Tumblr feed "Rich Kids of Instagram," which visually catalogs the lifestyles of the world's wealthiest teens and young adults, exemplifies this theory. Explore some other examples of symbolic interactionism. Dr. Nicki Lisa Cole is a sociologist. Race and ethnicity is another area where symbolic interactionism comes into play. The American flag to some is a symbol of freedom, hope, and pride. An example is two… While some can be subjective, a few symbols you recognize through your interactions with them are: Societies are full of symbolic interactionism. Example: If an adolescent changes schools and his new peer group smokes marijuana, the new student is … When looking at a complex theory, it’s always best to start simply. You might want people to see you in a Smoking, race, gender and interpersonal relationships can all function within the framework of symbolic interactionism. Depending on your interaction with the American flag, the meaning behind it will be different. Gender. The symbolic interaction perspective, also called symbolic interactionism. The kind of computer you own, the kind of car you drive, your ability to afford the latest Apple product—these serve as a social indicator of wealth and status. Symbolic interaction theory, or symbolic interactionism, is one of the most important perspectives in the field of sociology, providing a key theoretical foundation for much of the research conducted by sociologists. A key aspect of the symbolic interactionist perspective of deviance is labeling theory. But it doesn’t just stop there. Blumer’s 3 principles of symbolic interactionism are as follows: 1) Human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings they have for them. While it might seem like a big name, symbolic interactionism is how your experiences add subjective meanings to symbols and letters. Example: If a teen-age boy/girl changes schools and his/her new peer group smokes marijuana, then he/she is more likely to smoke marijuana. Blumer's three principles of symbolic interactionism are: (1) the underlying meaning that something has to someone is the main reason for acting on it. Structural functionalism is a theory that sociologists use to describe human behavior by studying different institutions and how they correlate with … Symbolic interactionism was developed by thinkers such George Herbert Mead and Herbert Blumer in the 20th century. Sociological perspectives on religion aim to understand the functions religion serves, the inequality and other problems it can reinforce and perpetuate, and the role it plays in our daily lives (Emerson, Monahan, & Mirola, 2011). He eventually broke down and told her he was gay and had known Symbolic Interactionism Essay he was a teenager Continue Reading. The closer the relationship, the more likely someone is to be influenced. Symbolic interaction theory is a similar idea except it focuses on how certain images become symbolic and are used to communicate specific ideas. Symbolic interactionism plays a big role in family and relationships. A man wearing a dress might be seen as feminine. Examples from my everyday life: Symbolic interaction. Symbolic interactionists see meaning as constantly modified through social interaction. These symbols also place her in a superior position within the larger social hierarchies of society. The seal is composed of the coat of arms of the president. The meanings that things hold can be different for each person. With this as his approach, Herbert Continue Reading. Your understanding of a word or event changes based on interactions with it. An image of a stick figure without a dress means man. The rainbow has been seen as a Christian symbol of hope but another meaning of rainbow is now associated with the LGBTQ community. Those meanings are the product of social interaction between people—they are social and. We will have some assumptions about these people and our behavior towards them will be based on these assumptions … Some symbols are easy to recognize and hold concrete meanings within societies. She has taught and researched at institutions including the University of California-Santa Barbara, Pomona College, and University of York. The symbolic interactionist perspective to Continue Reading. Action follows meaning. In this book, Weber demonstrates the value of this perspective by illustrating how historically, a Protestant worldview and set of morals framed work as a calling directed by God, which in turn gave moral meaning to dedication to work. Examples of Interactionism. Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction. Among other characteristics, theories that bear the hallmark of the SI perspective typically devote attention to micro-level social dynamics & the micropolitics of everyday interaction. Three common perspectives that are used are structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. If you love books, for example, a symbolic interactionist might propose that you learned that books are good or important in the interactions you had with family, friends, school, or church; maybe your family had a special reading time each week, getting your library card was treated as a special event, or bedtime stories were associated with warmth and comfort. One example of this is the meaning of a rainbow. Look no further than symbolic interactionism to see how this is true. The Symbolic Interactionist perspective looks at the finer details in the development of the “self” rather than examining the picture as a whole. By sharing the image on social media, it and the symbols that compose it act as a declaration that says, "This is who I am.". When you are in public, do you ever catch yourself changing your stance, adjusting your look, or the way you speak based on how you think other people are looking at you? Meaning-making and understanding is an ongoing interpretive process, during which the initial meaning might remain the same, evolve slightly, or change radically. The principle of meaning is central to the theory of symbolic interactionism. Examples of Symbolic Interactionism: As humans and as members of a society, we learn to understand through our interaction with symbols, including the letters of our language that make up words. The sweatshirt describing her as "raised on Champagne," as well as her access to a private jet, communicates a lifestyle of wealth and privilege which serve to reaffirm her belonging within this very elite and small social group. April 17, 2013 // 0. The lone t shape symbolizes a cross, spirituality, or religion. Symbolic interaction theory, or symbolic interactionism, is one of the most important perspectives in the field of sociology, providing a key theoretical foundation for much of the research conducted by sociologists.. For example, the word ‘dog’ is just a series of letters. Following these core tenets, the symbolic interactionist perspective reveals that reality as we perceive it is a social construct produced through ongoing social interaction, and only exists within a given social context. Therefore, your interactions color the symbolic meanings assigned to words, objects, thoughts, events, and people. Additionally, many symbolic interactionism examples seen throughout society can be subjective, based on your experiences with that particular symbol. Ronnie Kaufman & Larry Hirshowitz/Getty Images, The Major Theoretical Perspectives of Sociology, Biography of Sociologist George Herbert Mead, Studying Race and Gender with Symbolic Interaction Theory, Assessing a Situation, in Terms of Sociology, How Our Aligning Behavior Shapes Everyday Life, Definition of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Sociology, Social Constructionism Definition and Examples, Biography of Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley, The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism, Ph.D., Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara, M.A., Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara. This theory contributed to symbolic interactionism by elucidating how it is that our perceptions of the world and of ourselves within it—or, individually and collectively constructed meaning—directly influence our actions as individuals (and as groups.). In concert with a waitress who approaches us, asks if she can help us, and then takes our order, the meaning of the waitress is re-established through that interaction. Imagine, for example, that you walk into a bank, hoping to get a small loan for school, a home, or a small business venture. Mead believed that one's self develops through social interactions. A stick figure sitting in a chair with a large wheel means handicapped. However, if a dog was your best friend growing up, then ‘dog’ might hold a positive connotation. Symbolic interaction consists of three parts: meaning; language, the symbols through which human beings communicate meaning; … Brief accounts of symbolic interactionism often misattribute the creation of it to early American sociologist George Herbert Mead. Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that develops from practical considerations and alludes to people's particular utilization of dialect to make images and normal implications, for deduction and correspondence with others. A core tenet of Weber's approach to theorizing the social world was that we act based on our interpretation of the world around us. For example, for the symbols attached to “males” and “females”, actions and looks are based on what is believed is true from your interactions rather than what is objectively true. People interpret one another’s behavior, and it is these inter-pretations that form the social bond. The way you see the world colors your understanding of it. First proposed by sociologist Howard Becker in the 1960s, labeling theory posits that deviance is that which is so labeled. There are 3 major theoretical approaches, namely, Symbolic Interactionism, Functionalism and The Conflict Theory. For example, if I had sat under the shade of trees all my life, and I was on a long walk today and spotted a big tree, I might want to sit under it. No status or behavior is inherently deviant until other people have judged it and labeled it deviant. The tree means shade on a hot day to me. They believe that people are not a product of their environment; rather the environment is a product of people. He later published, quite literally, the book on this theoretical perspective, titled Symbolic Interactionism. An image of a stick figure with a dress means woman. Explore different examples of symbolic interactionism at play in society. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. Through your interactions with the letters ‘dog’, you see this as a furry, four-legged canine. In this work, Mead made a fundamental contribution to sociology by theorizing the difference between "I" and "me.". The interactionist perspective emphasizes that families reinforce and rejuvenate bonds through symbolic rituals such as … The act of committing oneself to work, and working hard, as well as saving money rather than spending it on earthly pleasures, followed this accepted meaning of the nature of work. According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, people attach meanings to symbols, and then they act according to their subjective interpretation of these symbols. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Taking ​the example of the selfie today, we can say that "I" take a selfie and share it in order to make "me" available to the world. Another early American sociologist, Charles Horton Cooley, wrote about "me" as "the looking-glass self," and in doing so, also made important contributions to symbolic interactionism.