Definitions Of Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interaction is a perspective that was developed in the fields of social psychology and sociology. While there is not one definitive explanation of this paradigm, the following definitions help to illustrate symbolic interaction:

Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences- a sociological perspective that stresses the way societies are created through the interactions of individuals. Unlike both the consensus (structural functionalist) and conflict perspectives, it does not stress the idea of a social system possessing structure and regularity, but focuses on the way that individuals, through their interpretations of social situations and behavioral negotiation with others, give meaning to social interaction. George H. Mead (1863-1931), a founder of symbolic interactionism, saw interaction as creating and recreating the patterns and structures that bring society to life, but more recently there has been a tendency to argue that society has no objective reality aside from individual interaction. This latter view has been criticized for ignoring the role of culture and social structure in giving shape, direction and meaning to social interaction (http://bitbucket.icaap.org/dict.pl).

Dictionary of Critical Sociology- Symbolic Interaction: A very complex process by which ideas are converted into social facts. In a 'self-fulfilling prophecy', the prophecy contains the idea of the role, the occasion or the social institution under construction. Then, through a remarkable process using words, gestures, clothing, equipment, and architecture, forms of social reality are constructed by some set of persons. This view of reality formation contrasts with theories which locate human behavior in genes or purely psychological processes. It also calls into question the idea that forms of social reality exist independently of the people who construct them anew in each marriage, church service, class, or business act (http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rmazur/dictionary/a.html).

Webref.org Online Sociology Dictionary- Symbolic Interactionism - A theoretical school or orientation in sociological social psychology. An approach that has evolved principally from social behaviorism and the writings of George Herbert Mead and stresses the symbolic nature of human interaction, linguistic and gestural communication (all reality is held to be communicated reality), and particularly the role of language in the formation of mind, self, and society. In sum, social reality and human behavior, for the symbolic interactionist, is conceptualized as symbolic, communicated, and subjective in both form and content. (http://www.webref.org/sociology/sociology.htm)

Basic Assumptions Of Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic interaction is a paradigm that is based three main premises. Each of these premises has its own assumptions. The outline that follows is the themes and premises as outlines by Herbert Blumer, one of the major thinkers in the field of symbolic interaction:

1. Humans act towards things on the basis of meanings individuals have for them.
2. Meaning is created through interaction between people.
3. Meanings are modified through an interpretive process.