SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

 It is a micro sociological theory and a branch of interpreting sociology

 It was developed as a critic of macro sociological theories
 Macro sociological theories are both systems theories which emphasize on the over socialisation
of individuals
 It is by contrast directs attention to the analysis of the interaction of individuals in face to face
communication
 It focuses on small scale interaction patterns between individuals
DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Symbol- act or object that represent something (communication purposes)
flags,gestures ,language and signs
 Self- mental image of one's physical, psychological, moral and social attributes formed from
social interaction
 Interaction-process involving reciprocal and mutual communication of meanings resulting in
the definition the self ,others and situations
 Significant others-are important people who influence how one defines him/herself they are
our frame of reference

MAIN ASSUMPTIONS
 according to mead sited in hagedorm (1993) symbolic interactionism is based on the following
assumptions humans are active, creative and interpretive beings capable of creating their own
social word
 NB this is a departure from macro perspective which emphasize the determining influence of
social structures on human behavior
 Humans create symbols to which they attach meanings and respond accordingly they include
signs, flags, gestures and language
 Symbols and their meanings are learnt or socialised through soical interaction
 Humans interact on the bases of shared meanings without shared meaning meaningful social
interaction may not be possible
 Symbols and their meanings are not fixed entities they are modified and changed through
negotiation
 Humans develop a self concept through a social interaction the self develops a result of
interpreting and internalizing significant other's reactions and actions
 Humans have a capacity to think and freedom of choice

They developed theories which describe the development of the self

  The self concept is socially created according to Mead and Cooley
 The conception of the self is divided into 2 the ME and I
 The me is the socialised self
 The I is the inner person without any outside influence

LOOKING GLASS SELF THEORY

COOLEY in haralambos and holbonrne 2013 argue that society is a mirror or a looking glass in which an
individual sees his/her image in others reactions to his/her behavior

Just as a picture and the mirror give an image of the physical self the perceptions/reactions of others give
a image of the social life

LABELING

the labels people are given affect their own and others perception of them thus leding their behaviour
into deviance/conformity

It is a assignment of a role to a learner esp by the learner's significant other

If an individual is consistently labeled as devient he/she can behave like a real devient

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY

 it argues that expectations made by teachers about a learner's behaviour/achievement will tend
to come true even though the original expectation may have been false
 In other words the theory maintains that predictions made by teachers about the future
success/failure of learners will tend to come true because the prediction have been made
 If the learner behave according to it this is called the self fulfilling prophecy