What is symbolic interaction theory?
Those adjustments that you're making can be explained by symbolic interaction theory, also called symbolic interactionism , a theory about social behavior and interaction.
Who is the brain behind symbolic interactionism?
Blumer's Symbolic Interactionism. Herbert Blumer was actually a student of Mead, and he expanded on Mead's discussion of the self in relation to social behavior. Despite much of the groundwork being established by Mead, Blumer is traditionally known for being the brains behind the theory of symbolic interactionism.
What is the micro level theory of self?
We learned that this is a micro-level theory because it deals with individuals and their relations to groups. We discussed George Herbert Mead's concept of self as a dynamic organism that is organized into two phases: I (the unorganized response of the self to the attitudes of others) and me (a set of organized attitudes of others that the individual assumes in response). We connected this discussion to Charles H. Cooley's concept of the 'looking glass self,' which reiterates how our definition of self is constructed based on what we think others think of us. Lastly, we discussed Herbert Blumer's contribution to symbolic interactionism, which is a culmination of these two elements and adds a clarification of how individuals assign meaning to behavior based on interactions with others.
What is Blumer's theory of behavior?
Blumer argued that people's behavior is based on the meaning those behaviors have to them. Those meanings are based on and derived from interactions an individual has with others. It's important to note that these meanings are subject to change based on an individual's interpretation.
Who created the concept of self?
Mead's Concept of Self. George Herbert Mead laid the groundwork for symbolic interaction with his discussion about the self, which he defines as a dynamic organism that is a being of its own. The self breaks down into two processes or phases that take place in any human interaction:
Who are the three sociologists who developed symbolic interactionism?
The modern-day theoretical concept of symbolic interactionism is the culmination of contributions in the early 1900s from three major sociological theorists: Herbert Blumer, George Herbert Mead, and Charles Horton Cooley. In the following sections, we'll discuss each of these theorists' roles in the development of the theory.
Is symbolic interaction theory a sociological theory?
As this theory focuses on the behavior of individuals as opposed to the collective behavior of people as a group (a macro-level approach to social theory), symbolic interactionism is considered to be a micro-level sociological theory.
Understanding Interactionism Theory
Understanding Symbolic Interactionism Theory
- Interaction is a term and also a sociological term, while symbolic is a work of communicology or the science of communication. As explained above that the theory of interactionism is one of the theories that is widely used in sociological research, social meaning is obtained through the process of interpretation and communication of symbols in the ...
Theoretical View of Symbolic Interaction
- Herbert Blumer wrote three main principles of symbolic interactionism theory, first a person acts and behaves based on the interpreted meaning of the person’s behavior or actions. Second, social meaning is the result of social construction and third is the creation of meaning and social understanding is an ongoing interactive process. This theory sees reality as a social constructio…