Herbert Blumer:

Symbolic interactionism. Perspective and method

1. The methodological position of symbolic interactionism
Scholarlycontext
Thenatureofsymbolic
interactionism

GeorgeHerbertMead,JohnDeweyandmore
Threepremises:
1. Humanbeingsacttowardthingsonthebasisof
themeaningthatthethinghaveforthem.
2. Themeaningofthingsisderivedfromthesocial
interactionthatonehaswithonesfellows.
3. Thesemeaningsarehandledinandmodified
throughaninterpretativeprocessusedbythe
personindealingwiththethingssheenocunters.
Natureof:
therootimagesofsocialinteractionism
HUMANSOCIETYOR Humangroupsorsocityconsistfundamentallyofaction.
HUMANGROUPLIFE
Societyexistsinactionstructure/organizationisa
processoffittingtogetheractions.
SOCIAL
Onesownactionneedstobefittedwiththeactionsof
INTERACTION
theother.
G.H.Mead Theconversationofgestures(nonsymbolicinteract.)
Theuseofsignificantsymbols(symbolicinteraction)
NATUREOFOBJECTS Individualworldsaremadeupofobjects(physical,
social,abstract).Anobjectisanythingthatcanbe
referredthemeaningithasforwhomitisanobject.
>Naturalparalleltosemiotictheory:connotationsand
privateassociations.
THEHUMANBEING
Thehumanbeingaspossessingaselfcanbeanobject
ASANACTING
ofitsownaction.Theselfobjectemergesfromsocial
ORGANISM
interactionwithotherpeople.Thesubjectplacing
her/himselfinthepositionofothers.
>Interactingwithoneself.Selfinteractionasmaking
indicationtooneself.
Social Anorganismthatengagesinsocialinteractionwithitself
bymakingindicationstoitselfandrespondingtothese
indications.Thatis,aprocessofinterpretationoutof
whichactionarises.
OFHUMANACTION
Theneedtointerprettheworldinordertoact.
INTERLINKAGEOF
Jointactionasocietalorganizationofconductor
ACTION
differentactsofdiverseparticipants.
- oftenrepetetiveandstable,yetevolving.
- Theextendedconnectionofactionsmakeup
muchofhumanlife.Systems.
- Anyinstanceofjointactionarisesfromprevious
actions.
Apremiseofanempiricallyexistingworldthatcanbe
Methodological

principlesofempirical
science
Idealism

Theresistanceofthe
empiricalworld
Methodology

Liftingtheveilsofthe
empiricalworld

EXPLORATION
(depiction)

Goal

INSPECTION
(analysis)
definition

studied.
Theworldofrealityexistsonlyasitisinterpretedand
comprehendedbytheindividual.Existsonlyinhuman
experience.
Anincontestableposition,but:
doesnotshiftrealityfromtheempiricalworldtothe
realmoftheimaginaryandconception.
Asolipsticpositionisuntenable.
Anobduratecharacterthatisthemarkofreality.
Theroleofempiricalsciencetodeveloptheoryand
conceptionsdespitethestubbornessofreality.
Coverstheprinciplesthatunderlieandguidethefull
processofstudyingtheobduratecharatherofthegiven
empiricalworld.
1. Methodologyconcernsthewholescientific
processnotonlysomeinitialmusthave.
2. Eachpartofthescientificquesthastofitthe
obduratecharacteroftheempiricalworld.
3. Theempiricalworldprovidestheultimate
answertothequestionsposed.
Blumerhereprettyagressivelyattacksasolely
quantitativeapproachtosocialsciences.
Bygettingclosetotheareaanddiggingdeepinto
throughcarefulstudy.
Throughanalysisofitstwofundamentalparts:
Explorationandinspection>Directnaturalistic
examinationoftheempiricalsocialworld.
Basicallyaboutthevalueofexploratorystudies,withan
initialbroadfocusthatissharpenedastheinquiry
proceeds.Notdependentonparticularsetsoftechniques.
Theimportanceofseekingparticipantswithknowledge
ontheareaofstudy.Informants.
Theimportanceoflettingtheempiricalmaterial,leadthe
developmentofconceptsandimages.
Developacomprehensivepictureoftheareaofstudy.
Descriptiveinformationprovidesanswerstotheoretical
questions.BUT,atheoreticalschemaisnotapriori
necessary.
Theexaminationoftheempiricalworldneedstobecast
inatheoreticalform.Butthereshouldbeno
conventionalprotocol,whichwouldonlyservetolimit
theempiricalanalysis.
()anintensivefocusedexaminationoftheempirical
contentofwhateveranalytialelementsareusedfor
purposesofanalysis,andthesamekindofexamination
oftheempiricalnatureoftherelationsbetweensuch
elements(43).
2

Procedure Examininganalyticalelementsfromdifferentangles.
Flexible,creative,imaginative.
Operationalisingisnottheanswer.
Howdoesonestudyhumangrouplifeandsocialaction?
Methodological
orientation
1.Peopleactonthebasis Inordertounderstandtheactionofpeople,itis
ofthemeaningoftheir
necessarytoseetheobjectsastheyseemthem.
objects.
- Toplaceoneselfinthepositionofthe
individual/collective.
- Toidentifytheobjectsoneneedsabodyof
relevantobservations.
- Toguardagainstproneness.Deliberatetestingof
aprioriimages.
2.Grouplifeasaprocess Socialinteractionasaformativeprocessinitsownright.
inwhichpeopleindicate
Lifeandspheresasmovingprocessesinwhich
linesofactiontoeach
participantsdefineandinterpreteachothersacts.
otherandinterpretthe
indicatinsofothers.
Lackofwarrantforcompressingtheprocessofsocial
interactionintoaspecialform.Thevarietyofformsof
interctionopposessuchstandardisation.Thetaskofthe
researcheristoexplorethecharacteristicsofthespecific
formofinteraction.
3.Socialactsare
Needtoseesocialactionintermsoftheactor.Theactor
constructedthorugha
constructsher/hisownsocialaction.Possiblebyvirtue
processinwhichthe
ofbeingabletointeractwithher/himselfself
actorsnote,interpretand interaction.
assessthesituations
confrontingthem.
Thehumanbeingisnotamerelyrespondingorganism,
butratheranactingorganism.
Inordertoanalyzesocialaction,onehastoobservethe
processbywhichitisconstructed.
4.Thecomplex
Largesocietalorganizationsasarrangementsofpeople
interlinkageofactsthat
whoareinterlinkedintheirrespectiveactions.Seeks
compriseorganization,
explanationinthewayinwhichparticipantsdefine,
institutionsandlike,are
interpretandmeetsituationsattheirrespectivepoints.
movingaffairs.
Respectthenatureoftheempiricalworldandorganize
Conclusion
amethodologicalstancetoreflectthatrespect(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

Humangrouplifeasessentialforhumanconsciousness,
themind,theworldofobjects,selves,andhuman
conductintheformofconstructedacts.
Thehumanasanorganismpossessingaself,converts
thehumanintoanactorwithareflexiverelationtothe
world,andanobjecttoitself.
withwhichtomeettheworld.Interpretingtheobjectsof
theworld,notmerelyrespondinginanautomaticway.
Notasastructure.Processreflexivity.Putsthehuman
beingoveragainsther/hisworld,notmerelyinit.
Makingindicationstoher/himselfandinterpretingthese
indications>forgestogetherapieceofaction.Action
asaconduct,whichisconstructedbytheactorinsteadof
responseelicitedfromapreformedorganization.
- Nonsymbolicinteraction:respondingdirectlyto
gestruresandactions.
- Symbolicinteraction:interpretgestures
(indications)andactonthebasisofthe
interpretedmeaning.
Ascertainingthemeaningofactions
Conveyingindicationstoothersastohowshe/heisto
act.
Humaninteractionasapositiveshapingprocessinits
ownright.Constantinterpretation(andreinterpretation).
<interactionasaprocess.
Throughadualprocessofdefinitionandinterpretation.
Abletocoverthefullrangeofthegenericformsof
humanassociation.Alwaysthesamecommontaskof
constructingactsbyinterpretinganddefiningtheactsof
eachother.
Objectsashumanconstructsasanythingthatcanbe
referredtoordesignated.
1. Thenatureoftheobjectisconstitutedbythe
meaningithasforthepersonforwhomitisan
object.
2. Thismeaningarisesfromhowthepersonis
preparedtoacttowardit.
3. Allobjectsaresocialproductsformedand
tranformedbythedefiningprocessinsocial
interactions.
4. Peoplearepreparedtowardobjectsonthebasis
ofthemeaningithasforthem.
5. Onecanorganizeonesactionstowardit.
4

(Mead:socialact).
Thelargercollectiveformofactionthatisconstitutedby
thefittingtogetherofthelinesofbehaviourofthe
separateparticipants.
Fittingtogetherbyinterpretinganddefiningeachothers
acts.Actionswithinabroadersocialcontext.
Theessenceofsociety Liesinanongoingprocessofaction.
Uncertainty,contigency,transformation.
Methodologically
Studyofactionhastobemadefromthepov.oftheactor
taletheroleoftheactor.
Societyisnotan
Ratherseenaspeoplemeetingtheirconditionsoflife.
establishedstructure
Stillstructureisimportant Theimportanceofsocialroles,statuspositions,
institutions,socialcodes,norms().
theyareimportantonlyastheyenterintotheprocessof
interpretationanddefinitionoutofwhichjointactions
areformed.
Jointaction

4. Attitudes and the social act

Culture

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

Aconceptionofthehumangroupwithabody/systemof
waysoflivingthatpredatestheinfantornewcomer.
Mustbeacquired,shapetheirconductandpersonal
organization.
Arrangementofsocialpositions
Peopleputintodifferentrolesaccordingtosituations
(andpositions).
Theseconceptionshavenotbeenderivedfromthestudy
ofhumanassociationasanongoingprocess.
Twohumanbeingsinteractinguponeachother:themost
fundamentalform.
Participantstakeeachotherintoaccount.Interpretating
identifyingthemaningofaction.Orientingoneself,
directionforonesownconduct.
Constructedintheprocessofitsoccurrence.
Culturalnorms,statuspostitionsandrolerelationships
areonlyframeworksinsideofwhichthatprocessgoes
on(116).
ButsurelyBlumerinterpretstheoriesofroleplayingto
strictly?Itseemslikeanideaofroles,doesnotallowfor
anyindependentsprocessesofinterpretations?