Herbert Blumer:

Symbolic interactionism. Perspective and method

1. The methodological position of symbolic interactionism
Scholarlycontext
Thenatureofsymbolic
interactionism

GeorgeHerbertMead,JohnDeweyandmore
Threepremises:
1. Humanbeingsacttowardthingsonthebasisof
themeaningthatthethinghaveforthem.
2. Themeaningofthingsisderivedfromthe
socialinteractionthatonehaswithones
fellows.
3. Thesemeaningsarehandledinandmodified
throughaninterpretativeprocessusedbythe
personindealingwiththethingsshe
enocunters.
Natureof:
therootimagesofsocialinteractionism
HUMANSOCIETY
Humangroupsorsocityconsistfundamentallyof
ORHUMANGROUP
action.Societyexistsinactionstructure/organization
LIFE
isaprocessoffittingtogetheractions.
SOCIAL
Onesownactionneedstobefittedwiththeactionsof
INTERACTION
theother.
G.H.Mead Theconversationofgestures(nonsymbolic
interact.)
Theuseofsignificantsymbols(symbolic
interaction)
NATUREOF
Individualworldsaremadeupofobjects(physical,
OBJECTS
social,abstract).Anobjectisanythingthatcanbe
referredthemeaningithasforwhomitisanobject.
>Naturalparalleltosemiotictheory:connotationsand
privateassociations.
THEHUMANBEING Thehumanbeingaspossessingaselfcanbean
ASANACTING
objectofitsownaction.Theselfobjectemergesfrom
ORGANISM
socialinteractionwithotherpeople.Thesubject
placingher/himselfinthepositionofothers.
>Interactingwithoneself.Selfinteractionasmaking
indicationtooneself.
Social Anorganismthatengagesinsocialinteractionwith
itselfbymakingindicationstoitselfandrespondingto
theseindications.Thatis,aprocessofinterpretation
outofwhichactionarises.
SOCIALOFHUMAN Theneedtointerprettheworldinordertoact.
ACTION
INTERLINKAGEOF
Jointactionasocietalorganizationofconductor
ACTION
differentactsofdiverseparticipants.
- oftenrepetetiveandstable,yetevolving.

Methodological
principlesofempirical
science
Idealism

Theextendedconnectionofactionsmakeup
muchofhumanlife.Systems.
Anyinstanceofjointactionarisesfrom
previousactions.

Apremiseofanempiricallyexistingworldthatcanbe
studied.

Theworldofrealityexistsonlyasitisinterpreted
andcomprehendedbytheindividual.Existsonlyin
humanexperience.
Anincontestableposition,but:
doesnotshiftrealityfromtheempiricalworldtothe
realmoftheimaginaryandconception.
Asolipsticpositionisuntenable.
Theresistanceofthe
Anobduratecharacterthatisthemarkofreality.
empiricalworld
Theroleofempiricalsciencetodeveloptheoryand
conceptionsdespitethestubbornessofreality.
Methodology
Coverstheprinciplesthatunderlieandguidethefull
processofstudyingtheobduratecharatherofthegiven
empiricalworld.
1. Methodologyconcernsthewholescientific
processnotonlysomeinitialmusthave.
2. Eachpartofthescientificquesthastofitthe
obduratecharacteroftheempiricalworld.
3. Theempiricalworldprovidestheultimate
answertothequestionsposed.
Blumerhereprettyagressivelyattacksasolely
quantitativeapproachtosocialsciences.
Liftingtheveilsofthe Bygettingclosetotheareaanddiggingdeepinto
empiricalworld throughcarefulstudy.
Throughanalysisofitstwofundamentalparts:
Explorationandinspection>Directnaturalistic
examinationoftheempiricalsocialworld.
EXPLORATION
Basicallyaboutthevalueofexploratorystudies,with
(depiction)
aninitialbroadfocusthatissharpenedastheinquiry
proceeds.Notdependentonparticularsetsof
techniques.Theimportanceofseekingparticipants
withknowledgeontheareaofstudy.Informants.
Theimportanceoflettingtheempiricalmaterial,lead
thedevelopmentofconceptsandimages.
Goal Developacomprehensivepictureoftheareaofstudy.
Descriptiveinformationprovidesanswersto
theoreticalquestions.BUT,atheoreticalschemaisnot

apriorinecessary.
INSPECTION
Theexaminationoftheempiricalworldneedstobe
(analysis)
castinatheoreticalform.Butthereshouldbeno
conventionalprotocol,whichwouldonlyservetolimit
theempiricalanalysis.
definition ()anintensivefocusedexaminationofthe
empiricalcontentofwhateveranalytialelementsare
usedforpurposesofanalysis,andthesamekindof
examinationoftheempiricalnatureoftherelations
betweensuchelements(43).
Procedure Examininganalyticalelementsfromdifferentangles.
Flexible,creative,imaginative.
Operationalisingisnottheanswer.
Methodological
orientation
1.Peopleactonthebasis
ofthemeaningoftheir
objects.

2.Grouplifeasaprocess
inwhichpeopleindicate
linesofactiontoeach
otherandinterpretthe
indicatinsofothers.

3.Socialactsare
constructedthorugha
processinwhichthe
actorsnote,interpretand
assessthesituations
confrontingthem.

4.Thecomplex
interlinkageofactsthat
compriseorganization,
institutionsandlike,are
movingaffairs.

Howdoesonestudyhumangrouplifeandsocial
action?
Inordertounderstandtheactionofpeople,itis
necessarytoseetheobjectsastheyseemthem.
- Toplaceoneselfinthepositionofthe
individual/collective.
- Toidentifytheobjectsoneneedsabodyof
relevantobservations.
- Toguardagainstproneness.Deliberatetesting
ofaprioriimages.
Socialinteractionasaformativeprocessinitsown
right.Lifeandspheresasmovingprocessesinwhich
participantsdefineandinterpreteachothersacts.
Lackofwarrantforcompressingtheprocessofsocial
interactionintoaspecialform.Thevarietyofformsof
interctionopposessuchstandardisation.Thetaskofthe
researcheristoexplorethecharacteristicsofthe
specificformofinteraction.
Needtoseesocialactionintermsoftheactor.The
actorconstructsher/hisownsocialaction.Possibleby
virtueofbeingabletointeractwithher/himselfself
interaction.
Thehumanbeingisnotamerelyrespondingorganism,
butratheranactingorganism.
Inordertoanalyzesocialaction,onehastoobservethe
processbywhichitisconstructed.
Largesocietalorganizationsasarrangementsofpeople
whoareinterlinkedintheirrespectiveactions.Seeks
explanationinthewayinwhichparticipantsdefine,
interpretandmeetsituationsattheirrespectivepoints.

Conclusion

Respectthenatureoftheempiricalworldand
organizeamethodologicalstancetoreflectthat
respect(60).

2. Sociological implications of the thought of

George Herbert Mead
Clearlyaninspirationfor
Blumer
TheSelf
Selfinteraction
Theselfasaprocess
TheAct

Socialinteraction

Interpretationand
definition
1.Aformativeprocess
2.Continuallyfitting
conducttooneanother
>3.Symbolic
interactionismgeneric
Objects

Humangrouplifeasessentialforhuman
consciousness,themind,theworldofobjects,selves,
andhumanconductintheformofconstructedacts.
Thehumanasanorganismpossessingaself,converts
thehumanintoanactorwithareflexiverelationtothe
world,andanobjecttoitself.
withwhichtomeettheworld.Interpretingtheobjects
oftheworld,notmerelyrespondinginanautomatic
way.
Notasastructure.Processreflexivity.Putsthe
humanbeingoveragainsther/hisworld,notmerelyin
it.
Makingindicationstoher/himselfandinterpreting
theseindications>forgestogetherapieceofaction.
Actionasaconduct,whichisconstructedbytheactor
insteadofresponseelicitedfromapreformed
organization.
- Nonsymbolicinteraction:respondingdirectly
togestruresandactions.
- Symbolicinteraction:interpretgestures
(indications)andactonthebasisofthe
interpretedmeaning.
Ascertainingthemeaningofactions
Conveyingindicationstoothersastohowshe/heisto
act.
Humaninteractionasapositiveshapingprocessinits
ownright.Constantinterpretation(and
reinterpretation).
<interactionasaprocess.
Throughadualprocessofdefinitionandinterpretation.
Abletocoverthefullrangeofthegenericformsof
humanassociation.Alwaysthesamecommontaskof
constructingactsbyinterpretinganddefiningtheacts
ofeachother.
Objectsashumanconstructsasanythingthatcanbe
referredtoordesignated.
1. Thenatureoftheobjectisconstitutedbythe
meaningithasforthepersonforwhomitisan
object.
2. Thismeaningarisesfromhowthepersonis
preparedtoacttowardit.
3. Allobjectsaresocialproductsformedand
tranformedbythedefiningprocessinsocial
5

interactions.
4. Peoplearepreparedtowardobjectsonthebasis
ofthemeaningithasforthem.
5. Onecanorganizeonesactionstowardit.
(Mead:socialact).
Jointaction
Thelargercollectiveformofactionthatisconstituted
bythefittingtogetherofthelinesofbehaviourofthe
separateparticipants.
Fittingtogetherbyinterpretinganddefiningeach
othersacts.Actionswithinabroadersocialcontext.
Theessenceofsociety Liesinanongoingprocessofaction.
Uncertainty,contigency,transformation.
Methodologically
Studyofactionhastobemadefromthepov.ofthe
actortaletheroleoftheactor.
Societyisnotan
Ratherseenaspeoplemeetingtheirconditionsoflife.
establishedstructure
Stillstructureisimportant Theimportanceofsocialroles,statuspositions,
institutions,socialcodes,norms().
theyareimportantonlyastheyenterintotheprocess
ofinterpretationanddefinitionoutofwhichjoint
actionsareformed.

4. Attitudes and the social act

Culture

Socialstructure
Roleplaying
Blumerscritique
The[true]natureof
humanassociation
Continuingprocessof
interpretation
>Transaction

Aconceptionofthehumangroupwithabody/system
ofwaysoflivingthatpredatestheinfantornewcomer.
Mustbeacquired,shapetheirconductandpersonal
organization.
Arrangementofsocialpositions
Peopleputintodifferentrolesaccordingtosituations
(andpositions).
Theseconceptionshavenotbeenderivedfromthe
studyofhumanassociationasanongoingprocess.
Twohumanbeingsinteractinguponeachother:the
mostfundamentalform.
Participantstakeeachotherintoaccount.Interpretating
identifyingthemaningofaction.Orientingoneself,
directionforonesownconduct.
Constructedintheprocessofitsoccurrence.
Culturalnorms,statuspostitionsandrolerelationships
areonlyframeworksinsideofwhichthatprocessgoes
on(116).
ButsurelyBlumerinterpretstheoriesofroleplayingto
strictly?Itseemslikeanideaofroles,doesnotallow
foranyindependentsprocessesofinterpretations?