Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Definition

The symbolic interactionist perspective is a sociological theory that emphasizes the ways in which individuals, through their interactions with others, create and maintain a sense of self and the social world around them. This perspective focuses on the symbolic meanings that people develop and share, and how these shape human behavior and social interactions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The symbolic interactionist perspective emphasizes the importance of symbols, such as language, gestures, and cultural artifacts, in shaping human behavior and social interactions.
2. This perspective views social life as a continuous process of interpretation and negotiation, where individuals actively construct and reconstruct their understanding of the world and their place in it.
3. Symbolic interactionists focus on how individuals use symbols to create shared meanings and to coordinate their actions with others.
4. The concept of the 'looking-glass self' is central to the symbolic interactionist perspective, which suggests that individuals develop their self-concept based on how they believe others perceive them.
5. Symbolic interactionists emphasize the importance of micro-level interactions and how they shape larger social structures and institutions.

Review Questions

• Explain how the symbolic interactionist perspective can be applied to understanding culture and its influence on socialization.
  • The symbolic interactionist perspective views culture as a dynamic, socially constructed system of shared meanings and symbols that are created and maintained through social interactions. From this perspective, socialization is the process by which individuals learn and internalize these cultural symbols and meanings, shaping their understanding of the world and their place within it. As individuals engage in social interactions, they negotiate and renegotiate the meanings of cultural symbols, which in turn influence their behavior and the socialization of future generations.
• Describe how the symbolic interactionist perspective can be used to analyze deviance and crime within a society.
  • The symbolic interactionist perspective suggests that deviance and crime are not inherent qualities of certain behaviors, but rather are socially constructed through the labeling and categorization of individuals by others. This perspective emphasizes how the meanings and interpretations attached to certain behaviors, as well as the power dynamics involved in the labeling process, can shape an individual's self-concept and influence their future behavior. For example, the symbolic interactionist perspective might explore how the labeling of certain individuals as 'criminals' can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the labeled individual internalizes the deviant identity and engages in further criminal activities.
• Analyze how the symbolic interactionist perspective can contribute to our understanding of the relationship between media, technology, and social change.
  • The symbolic interactionist perspective emphasizes the ways in which media and technology shape the symbolic meanings and shared understandings that individuals and societies construct. From this view, media and technology are not neutral tools, but rather active participants in the creation and dissemination of cultural symbols and meanings. As new media and technologies emerge, they can challenge and transform existing social structures and power dynamics, leading to social change. The symbolic interactionist perspective might explore how the use of social media, for instance, has altered the ways in which individuals present and construct their identities, and how these changes have rippled through various social institutions and relationships.

Related terms

Social Constructionism: The idea that social phenomena are created, maintained, and transformed through human interaction and the meanings people attach to them.

Impression Management: The process by which individuals attempt to control the impressions others form of them during social interactions.

Labeling Theory: The theory that the way society labels and categorizes individuals can influence their self-concept and behavior.