Symbollc lnLeracLlon 1heory

1he Lerm symbollc lnLeracLlonlsm was lnvenLed by 8lumer (1937) Lo descrlbe soclologlcal and
soclal psychologlcal ldeas he presenLed as emanaLlng dlrecLly from Mead especlally buL noL
excluslvely ln MloJ 5elf ooJ 5oclety (1934) Symbollc lnLeracLlon Lheory ls a Lerm LhaL ls
relaLed Lo Lhose ldeas Lhough noL necessarlly ln Lhe speclflc forms presenLed by 8lumer or
Mead

Descr|pt|on
9eople acL based on symbollc meanlngs Lhey flnd wlLhln any glven slLuaLlon We Lhus lnLeracL
wlLh Lhe symbols formlng relaLlonshlps around Lhem 1he goals of our lnLeracLlons wlLh one
anoLher are Lo creaLe shared meanlng
Language ls lLself a symbollc form whlch ls used Lo anchor meanlngs Lo Lhe symbols
key aspecLs are
O We acL Loward oLhers based on Lhe meanlng LhaL Lhose oLher people have for us
O Meanlng ls creaLed ln Lhe lnLeracLlons we have wlLh oLher people ln sharlng our
lnLerpreLaLlons of symbols
O Meanlngs are modlfled Lhrough an lnLerpreLlve process whereby we flrsL lnLernally
creaLe meanlng Lhen check lL exLernally and wlLh oLher people
O We develop our selfconcepLs Lhrough lnLeracLlon wlLh oLhers
O We are lnfluenced by culLure and soclal processes such as soclal norms
O ur soclal sLrucLures are worked ouL Lhrough Lhe soclal lnLeracLlons wlLh oLhers

1nL 1nLCk
5ymbollc lotetoctloolsm as LhoughL of by PerberL 8lumer ls Lhe process of lnLeracLlon ln Lhe
formaLlon of meanlngs for lndlvlduals 8lumer was a devoLee of Ceorge P Mead and was
lnfluenced by !ohn uewey uewey lnslsLed LhaL human belngs are besL undersLood ln relaLlon
Lo Lhelr envlronmenL (SocleLy for More CreaLlve Speech 1996) WlLh Lhls as hls lnsplraLlon
PerberL 8lumer ouLllned 5ymbollc lotetoctloolsm a sLudy of human group llfe and conducL
8lumer came up wlLh Lhree core prlnclples Lo hls Lheory 1hey are ean|ng
|anguage and thought 1hese core prlnclples lead Lo concluslons abouL Lhe creaLlon of a
persons self and soclallzaLlon lnLo a larger communlLy (Crlffln 1997)
1he flrsL core prlnclple of ean|ng sLaLes LhaL humans acL Loward people and Lhlngs based
upon Lhe meanlngs LhaL Lhey have glven Lo Lhose people or Lhlngs 5ymbollc
lotetoctloolsm holds Lhe prlnclpal of meanlng as cenLral ln human behavlor
1he second core prlnclple ls |anguage Language glves humans a means by whlch Lo negoLlaLe
meanlng Lhrough symbols Meads lnfluence on 8lumer becomes apparenL here because Mead
belleved LhaL namlng asslgned meanlng Lhus namlng was Lhe basls for human socleLy and Lhe
exLenL of knowledge lL ls by engaglng ln speech acLs wlLh oLhers symbollc lotetoctloo LhaL
humans come Lo ldenLlfy meanlng or namlng and develop dlscourse
1he Lhlrd core prlnclple ls LhaL of thought 1houghL modlfles each lndlvlduals lnLerpreLaLlon of
symbols 1houghL basedon language ls a menLal conversaLlon or dlalogue LhaL requlres role
Laklng or lmaglnlng dlfferenL polnLs of vlew


SM8CLIC IN1LkAC1ICNISM 1nLCk


CVLkVILW
Symbollc lnLeracLlon Lheory descrlbes Lhe famlly as a unlL of lnLeracLlng personallLles
1hls Lheory focuses aLLenLlon on Lhe way LhaL people lnLeracL Lhrough symbols
o words gesLures rules and roles

1he symbollc lnLeracLlon perspecLlve ls based on how humans develop a complex seL of
symbols Lo glve meanlng Lo Lhe world (La8ossa 8elLzes 1993)
Meanlng evolves from Lhelr lnLeracLlons ln Lhelr envlronmenL and wlLh people
1hese lnLeracLlons are sub[ecLlvely lnLerpreLed Lhrough exlsLlng symbols
undersLandlng Lhese symbols ls lmporLanL ln undersLandlng human behavlor
lnLeracLlons wlLh larger socleLal processes lnfluence Lhe lndlvldual and vlceversa
lL ls Lhrough lnLeracLlon LhaL humans develop a concepL of larger soclal sLrucLures and also
of self concepL
SocleLy affecLs behavlor Lhrough consLralnLs by socleLal norms and values
Self concepL also affecLs behavlor
Symbollc lnLeracLlonlsm's unlque conLrlbuLlons Lo famlly sLudles are
1 famllles are soclal groups and
2 LhaL lndlvlduals develop boLh a concepL of self and Lhelr ldenLlLles Lhrough soclal
lnLeracLlon

5ymbo/ic interoctionism is the woy we /eorn to interpret ond qive meoninq to the wor/d
thouqh our interoctions with others



MAICk CCN1kI8U1CkS (LA8SSA 8Ll1ZLS 1993)

George nerbert Mead (1934) ofLen clLed as Lhe maln conLrlbuLor Lo symbollc
lnLeracLlonlsm
Never pub||shed h|s theory
8lumer hls sLudenL publlshed lL afLer hls deaLh
o Meanlng evolves from gesLures (an acLlon whlch produces a response ln anoLher)
o Language ls a seL of shared meanlng
o 1aklng Lhe role of Lhe generallzed oLher deflned as Lhe ablllLy Lo exLend lnLerpersonal
meanlngs Lo an enLlre group

nerbert 8|uer (1969) Mead's SLudenL
credlLed wlLh Lhe Lerm symbollc lnLeracLlonlsm" Pe also summarlzed Lhe baslc
assumpLlons of symbollc lnLeracLlon from Mead's earller work
MAICk ASSUM1ICNS A8CU1 SLLI AND IAMIL (LA8SSA 8Ll1ZLS 1993)

lndlvlduals are noL born wlLh a sense of self buL develop self concepLs Lhrough soclal
lnLeracLlon
Self concepL ls developed Lhrough Lhe process of lnLeracLlon and communlcaLlon wlLh
oLhers
Self concepL ls shaped by Lhe reacLlons of slgnlflcanL oLhers and by our percepLlons of Lhelr
reacLlons
Self concepL once developed provldes an lmporLanL moLlve for behavlor
Self fulfllllng prophecy ls Lhe Lendency for our expecLaLlons and/or oLher's expecLaLlons of
us Lo evoke expecLed responses
Pumans lnLeracL and develop roles ln Lhe famlly accordlng Lo symbols used Lo descrlbe Lhe
famlly
1hese roles are based on Lhe symbollc meanlng aLLached Lo each role
Pow famlly members reacL Lo a slLuaLlon ls deLermlned by how Lhey lnLerpreL Lhe
slLuaLlon So lL ls lmporLanL Lo undersLand Lhe symbols Lhe famlly uses Lo undersLand Lhelr
lnLeracLlons and behavlors
ln a famlly compllcaLed seLs of meanlngs are LransmlLLed Lhrough symbols LhaL permlL
each member Lo communlcaLe wlLh each oLher and share experlences (9eLerson 1986)

CCkL kINCILLS CI SCCIAL IN1LkAC1ICN 1nLCk

1 MLANING
2
Meanlng lLself ls noL lnherenL ln ob[ecLs
Puman belngs acL Loward Lhlngs on Lhe basls of Lhe meanlngs LhaL Lhey have asslgned
Lo Lhem
Meanlng arlses ln Lhe process of lnLeracLlon beLween people LhaL ls lL Lakes place ln
Lhe conLexL of relaLlonshlps wheLher wlLh famlly or communlLy
Meanlngs are handled ln and modlfled Lhrough an lnLerpreLlve process used by Lhe
person ln deallng wlLh Lhlngs he or she encounLers
nce people deflne a slLuaLlon as real lLs very real ln lLs consequences
2 Language
As human belngs we have Lhe unlque ablllLy Lo name Lhlngs
As chlldren lnLeracL wlLh famlly peers and oLhers Lhey learn language and
concurrenLly Lhey learn Lhe soclal meanlngs aLLached Lo cerLaln words
o 1haL ls language ls Lhe source of meanlng
Meanlng arlses ouL of soclal lnLeracLlons wlLh one anoLher and language ls Lhe vehlcle
ln Mead's vlew soclal llfe and communlcaLlon beLween people are posslble only when
we undersLand and can use a common language (Wood 1997)

1hought or "M|nd|ng"
An ablllLy dlsLlncLly dlfferenL from anlmals ln LhaL we have Lhe ablllLy Lo Lhlnk abouL
Lhlngs raLher Lhan slmply reacLlng lnsLlncLually
An lnner conversaLlon wlLh oneself
A reflecLlve pause Lhrough whlch we modlfy our lnLerpreLaLlon of symbols
an ablllLy Lo Lake Lhe role of 1he Lher"
Ma[or re|ses of Sybo||c Interact|on 1heory
1 nuan be|ngs act toward th|ngs on the bas|s of the ean|ng they have
1hese Lhlngs do noL have an lnherenL or unvarylng ean|ng
8aLher Lhelr meanlngs dlffer dependlng on how we deflne and respond Lo Lhem
how we deflne or glve meanlng Lo Lhe Lhlngs we encounLer
wlll shape our acLlons Loward Lhem
1herefore lf we wlsh Lo undersLand human behavlor we musL know how people
deflne Lhe Lhlngs ob[ecLs evenLs lndlvlduals groups sLrucLuresLhey encounLer
ln Lhelr envlronmenL

2 1he ean|ng attr|buted to those th|ngs ar|ses out of soc|a| |nteract|on w|th others
We are noL born knowlng Lhe meanlngs of Lhlngs
We don'L learn Lhese meanlngs slmply Lhrough lndlvldual experlences buL raLher
Lhrough Lhe lnLeracLlons wlLh oLhers

1hese ean|ngs are od|f|ed through an |nterpret|ve process
Lhe meanlngs of Lhe Lhlngs we encounLer Lhough formed by soclal lnLeracLlon are
alLered Lhrough our undersLandlngs
An lndlvldual's lnLerpreLaLlon of Lhe meanlng wlll gulde and deLermlne acLlon

7 Ma[or Assupt|ons of Sybo||c Interact|on|s 1heory

1 leople ote oolpoe cteototes becoose of tbelt oblllty to ose symbols

2 leople become Jlstloctlvely bomoo tbtooqb tbelt lotetoctloo wltb otbets

J leople ote cooscloos ooJ selfteflectlve beloqs wbo octlvely sbope tbelt owo bebovlot

4 leople ote potposfol cteototes wbo oct lo ooJ towotJ sltootloos

5 nomoo soclety cooslsts of people eoqoqloq lo symbollc lotetoctloo

6 1be soclol oct sboolJ be tbe fooJomeotol oolt of soclol psycboloqlcol ooolysls
7 1o ooJetstooJ peoples soclol octs we oeeJ to ose metboJs tbot eooble os to Jlsceto tbe
meooloqs tbey otttlbote to tbese octs

Ma[or Concepts Def|n|t|ons and 1ers
Ident|t|es Lhe self meanlngs ln a role
Language A sysLem of symbolds shared wlLh oLher memebers of socleLy used for Lhe
purposes of communlcaLlon and represenLaLlon
Look|ng G|ass Se|f Lhe menLal lmage LhaL resulLs from Laklng Lhe role of Lhe
oLher lmaglng how we look Lo anoLher person
Mean|ng Lhe purpose or slgnlflcance aLLrlbuLed Lo someLhlng Meanlng ls deLermlned by
how we respond Lo and make use of lL
M|nd A process of menLal acLlvlLy conslslLlng of self lnLeracLlon And reflecLlon based
on soclally acqulred symbols uoes noL refer Lo an lnner psychlc world separaLed from
socleLy
Na|ng or Labe||ng namecalllng can be devasLaLlng because lL forces us Lo vlew
ourselves Lhrough a warped mlrror name calllng llke sLupld can lead Lo a self fulfllllng
prophecy lf a person sees hlmself as sLupld he ls llkely Lo acL sLupld
ko|es refer Lo collecLlons of expecLaLlons LhaL deflne regularlzed paLLerns of behavlor
wlLhln famlly llfe" (9eLerson 1986 p 22)
8oles wlLhln Lhe famlly may lnclude buL noL be llmlLed Lo Lhe followlng nurLurer
soclallzer provlder and declslonmaker
ko|etak|ng ls Lhe ablllLy Lo see oneself as an ob[ecL ln oLher words Lo be able Lo see how
oLhers percelve oneself
8oleLaklng allows Lhe lndlvldual Lo monlLor and coordlnaLe personal behavlor ln order
Lo faclllLaLe lnLeracLlon wlLh oLhers and also Lo anLlclpaLe Lhe responses of oLher
lndlvlduals
ko|e conf||ct refers Lo Lhe slLuaLlon ln whlch Lhere are confllcLlng expecLaLlons abouL a
speclfled role
ko|e ak|ng ls Lhe process of lmprovlslng explorlng and [udglng whaL ls approprlaLe on
Lhe basls of Lhe slLuaLlon and Lhe response of oLhers aL Lhe momenL" (9eLerson 1986 p
23)
1he Se|f
o Accordlng Lo Mead self does noL exlsL aL blrLh buL ls developed Lhrough lnLeracLlon
wlLh oLhers
o emerges from Lhe soclal lnLeracLlon of humans ln whlch Lhe lndlvldual Lakes on Lhe
role of Lhe oLher and lnLernallzes Lhe aLLlLudes and percepLlons of oLhers Lhrough
Lhose lnLeracLlons
o 1he lnLeracLlon of an lndlvldual's selfconcepLlon (l) and Lhe generallzed
percelved vlew LhaL oLhers have of Lhe lndlvldual
(Me)
o 1he ongolng process of comblnlng Lhe "I" and Lhe "ML"
"I"
o An lndlvldual's selfconcepLlon
o 1he sub[ecLlve self
"Me" 1he "Genera||zed Cther"
o Lhe generallzed percelved vlew LhaL oLhers have of Lhe lndlvldual
o 1he menLal lmage of onseself LhaL ls based on expecLaLlons and responses from
oLhers
o 1he lmage of Lhe self seen ln oLher peoples reacLlons
Se|fconcept Lhe lmage we have of who and whaL we are (formed ln chlldhood by how
slgnlflcanL oLhers LreaL/respond Lo us) 1he selfconcepL ls noL flxed and unchanglng lf ln
chlldhood your Leachers Lell you you're sLupld buL laLer ln llfe your Leachers and frlends
begln Lo LreaL you as lf you're very brlghL your selfconcepL ls llkely Lo change
Se|ffu|f||||ng prophecy 1he Lendency for our expecLaLlons Lo evoke responses ln oLhers
LhaL conflrm whaL we orlglnally anLlclpaLed Lach one of us affecLs how oLhers vlew
Lhemselves ur expecLaLlons evoke responses LhaL conflrm whaL we orlglnally anLlclpaLed
9henomenon 1he way l choose Lo see Lhe world creaLes Lhe world l see
S|gn|f|cant sybo| A word or gesLure LhaL has a common meanlng Lo an lndlvldual and
oLhers
Soc|a| Act 8ehavlor LhaL ln some way Lakes lnLo accounL Lhe oLher" person group or
soclal organlzaLlon and ls gulded by whaL Lhey do lL emerges Lhrough Lhe process of
communlcaLlon and lnLeracLlon
Sybo| an|pu|at|on 1he means Lhrough whlch we moLlvaLe oLhers Lo acLlon Lhrough
Lhe use of symbol