Martina Smith

Soc 150 Davis

Sociological
Perspectives
October 4, 2019
Sociological
Perspectives
 Interactionism
a theoretical perspective in sociology that focuses on the everyday interactions between
individuals as the basis for the development of society. Interactionism focuses on
humans as social actors rather than just focusing on the role of society.
 Interactionism sociologists believe that meaning is produced through the interactions of
individuals.

social interaction is a face-to-face process consisting of actions, reactions, and mutual

adaptation between two or more individuals. It also includes animal interaction (such as
mating). The interaction includes all language (including body language) and mannerisms. The
goal of the social interaction is to communicate with others. Erving Goffman underlines the
importance of control in the interaction. One must attempt to control the others' behavior
during the interaction in order to attain the information one is seeking and in order to control
the perception of one's own image. Important concepts in the field of interactionism include the
"social role" and Goffman's "presentation of self."
 non-interactionism

provides a theoretical framework for

understanding people's behavior and viewpoints,
where the researcher provides descriptions of
processes of human interaction. Non-interactionist
sociologists consider the symbols and details of
everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how
people interact with each other.
 symbolic interactionism traces its origins to Max Weber's assertion that
individuals act according to their interpretation of the meaning of their
world, the American philosopher George H. Mead (1863–1931) introduced
this perspective to American sociology in the 1920s.
According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, people attach meanings to symbols, and then
act according to their subjective interpretation of these symbols. Verbal conversations, in which
spoken words serve as the predominant symbols, make this subjective interpretation especially
evident. The words have a certain meaning for the “sender,” and, during effective communication,
they hopefully have the same meaning for the “receiver.” words are not static “things”; they require
intention and interpretation. Conversation is an interaction of symbols between individuals who
constantly interpret the world around them.
Interactionism analyses the way society as a whole fits together whereas symbolic
interactionism is a micro perspective because it stresses the meaningfulness of human
behavior and denies that it is primarily determined by the structure of society.
Non-interactionism proposes that reality is what humans
cognitively construct it to be. We develop social constructs
based on interactions with others, and those constructs that
last over time are those that have meanings which are widely
agreed-upon or generally accepted by most within the society.
This approach is often used to understand what’s defined as
deviant within a society.