SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM THEORY

OVERVIEW

Symbolic interaction theory describes the family as a unit of interacting

personalities.

This theory focuses attention on the way that people interact through
symbols: words, gestures, rules, and roles.

The symbolic interaction perspective is based on how humans develop

a complex set of symbols to give meaning to the world
Meaning evolves from their interactions in their environment and with
people.
These interactions are subjectively interpreted through existing
symbols.
Understanding these symbols is important in understanding human
behavior.
Interactions with larger societal processes influence the individual, and
vice- versa.
It is through interaction that humans develop a concept of larger social
structures and also of self concept.
Society affects behavior through constraints by societal norms and
values.
Self concept also affects behavior.
Symbolic interactionisms unique contributions to family studies are
1.
Families are social groups and
2.
That individuals develop both a concept of self and their identities
through social interaction.
Symbolic interactionism is the way we learn to interpret and
give meaning to the world though our interactions with others.

MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS

ABOUT

SELF

AND

FAMILY

Individuals are not born with a sense of self but develop self concepts
through social interaction

Self concept is developed through the process of interaction and

communication with others

Self concept is shaped by the reactions of significant others and by our

perceptions of their reactions

Self concept, once developed, provides an important motive for

behavior.

Self fulfilling prophecy is the tendency for our expectations, and/or

others expectations of us to evoke expected responses

Humans interact and develop roles in the family according to symbols

used to describe the family.

These roles are based on the symbolic meaning attached to each role.

How family members react to a situation is determined by how they

interpret the situation. So, it is important to understand the symbols the
family uses to understand their interactions and behaviors.

In a family, complicated sets of meanings are transmitted through

symbols that permit each member to communicate with each other and
share experiences (Peterson, 1986).

CORE PRINCIPLES

1.

OF

SOCIAL INTERACTION THEORY

MEANING

Meaning itself is not inherent in objects

Human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings that
they have assigned to them

Meaning arises in the process of interaction between people. that is,

it takes place in the context of relationships whether with family or
community

Meanings are handled in and modified through an interpretive

process used by the person in dealing with things he or she encounters

Once people define a situation as real, it's very real in its

consequences

2.

Language

As human beings we have the unique ability to name things

As children interact with family, peers, and others, they learn

language and, concurrently, they learn the social meanings attached to
certain words
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That is, language is the source of meaning

Meaning arises out of social interactions with one another, and

language is the vehicle

In Meads view, social life and communication between people are

possible only when we understand and can use a common language,
(Wood, 1997)

3.

Thought or Minding
An ability distinctly different from animals in that we have the ability
to think about things rather than simply reacting instinctually

An inner conversation with oneself

A reflective pause through which we modify our interpretation of
symbols

An ability to take the role of The Other

Major Premises of Symbolic Interaction Theory

1. Human beings act toward things on the basis of the meaning

they have

These things do not have an inherent or unvarying meaning.

Rather, their meanings differ depending on how we define and respond

to them
How we define, or give meaning to the things we encounter.
will shape our actions toward them

Therefore, if we wish to understand human behavior we must know

how people define the things objects, events, individuals, groups,
structuresthey encounter in their environment.

2. The meaning attributed to those things arises out of

social interaction with others

We are not born knowing the meanings of things.

We dont learn these meanings simply through individual experiences,
but rather through the interactions with others.

3. These meanings are modified through an interpretive process

The meanings of the things we encounter, though formed by social

interaction, are altered through our understandings

An individuals interpretation of the meaning will guide and determine

action

7 Major Assumptions of Symbolic Interactionism Theory

1. People are unique creatures because of their ability to use symbols.

2. People become distinctively human through their interaction with others.
3. People are conscious and self-reflective beings who actively shape their
own behavior.
4. People are purposeful creatures who act in and toward situations.
5. Human society consists of people engaging in symbolic interaction.
6. The social act should be the fundamental unit of social psychological
analysis.
7. To understand peoples social acts, we need to use methods that enable
us to discern the meanings they attribute to these acts.

Major Concepts, Definitions and Terms

Identities - the self meanings in a role.

Language A system of symbols shared with other members of

society, used for the purposes of communication and representation

Looking Glass Self - the mental image that results from taking the
role of the other. Imaging how we look to another person.

Meaning the purpose or significance attributed to something.

Meaning is determined by how we respond to and make use of it

Mind A process of mental activity consisting of self, interaction, And

reflection, based on socially acquired symbols. Does not refer to an inner
psychic world separated from society.

Naming or Labeling - Name-calling can be devastating because it

forces us to view ourselves. Through a warped mirror. Name calling like
stupid can lead to a self fulfilling prophecy. If a person sees himself as
stupid he is likely to act stupid.

Roles refer to collections of expectations that define regularized

patterns of behavior within family life (Peterson, 1986, p. 22).

Roles within the family may include but not be limited to the
following: nurturer, socializer, provider, and decision-maker.

Role-taking is the ability to see oneself as an object, in other words,

to be able to see how others perceive oneself.
Role-taking allows the individual to monitor and coordinate personal
behavior in order to facilitate interaction with others and also to anticipate
the responses of other individuals.

Role conflict refers to the situation in which there are conflicting

expectations about a specified role.

Role making is the process of improvising, exploring, and judging

what is appropriate on the basis of the situation and the response of
others at the moment (Peterson, 1986, p. 23).

The Self

According to Mead, self does not exist at birth but is developed

through interaction with others
emerges from the social interaction of humans in which the
individual takes on the role of the "other" and internalizes the
attitudes and perceptions of others through those interactions
The interaction of an individuals self-conception ("I") and the
generalized, perceived view that others have of the individual
("Me")

The ongoing process of combining the I and the ME.

An individuals self-conception
The subjective self

Me - The Generalized Other

the generalized, perceived view that others have of the individual

The mental image of oneself that is based on expectations and
responses from others
The image of the self seen in other people's reactions

Self-concept: the image we have of who and what we are (formed in

childhood by how significant others treat/respond to us). The self-concept
is not fixed and unchanging if in childhood your teachers tell you youre
stupid, but later in life your teachers and friends begin to treat you as if
youre very bright, your self-concept is likely to change.

Self-fulfilling prophecy- The tendency for our expectations to evoke

responses in others that confirm what we originally anticipated. Each one
of us affects how others view themselves. Our expectations evoke
responses that confirm what we originally anticipated. Phenomenon: The
way I choose to see the world creates the world I see.

Significant Symbol A word or gesture that has a common meaning

to an individual and others.

Social Act Behavior that in some way takes into account the other
person, group or social organization, and is guided by what they do. It
emerges through the process of communication and interaction.

Symbol manipulation The means through which we motivate others

to action through the use of symbols

Since people are symbolic creatures, they can interpret and talk about
Their inner experiences, such as their thoughts or desires, thus enhancing
communication and interactions with others.

George Herbert Mead

1963-1931
Professor at University of Chicago
Posthumous book: Mind, Self and Society
Influenced Sociology and Communications
Mead thought that the true test of any theory is whether it is useful in
solving complex social problems.
Symbolic interactionism The term described what Mead claimed to be
the most human and humanizing activity that people can engage intalking
to each other.
The three core principles of this theory are: meaning, language, and
thought.
Meaning: The Construction of Social Reality
Humans act toward people or things on the basis of the meanings they
assign to those people or things.
E.g. If Im a child psychiatrist and I see a feral child, that person would
become my field of study, perhaps to further my career (exploitation).
Language: The Source of Meaning
Meaning arises out of the social interaction that people have with each other.

Meaning is not inherent in objects; its not pre-existent in a state of

nature.
Meaning arises out of social interactions; it is negotiated through the
use of languagehence the term symbolic interactionism.

As human beings, we have the ability to name things. We can

designate a specific object (person), identify an action (scream), or refer to
an abstract idea (crazy).
o
Occasionally a word sounds like the thing it describes (smack,
thud, crash), but usually the names we use have no logical connection with
the object at hand.
o
Symbols are arbitrary signs. Theres nothing inherently small,
soft, or lovable in the word kitten. Its only by talking with otherssymbolic
interactionthat we come to ascribe that meaning and develop a universe of
discourse.
o

Symbolic naming is the basis for human society.

A symbol is a stimulus that has a learned meaning and a value for
people; Symbolic intreractionism is the way we learn to interpret the world.

E.g. Father and son in a car crash, boy taken to hospital, doctor
sees the boy and says omg this is my son because the doctor is the
MOTHER.

Interactionists claim that the extent of knowing is dependant on the

extent of naming.

Although language can be a prison that confines us, we have the

potential to push back the walls and bars as we master more words.
E.g. College entrance exams, where half the questions
center on linguistic aptitude. The construction of this test obviously reflects
agreement with the interactionist claim that human intelligence is the ability
to symbolically identify much of what we encounter.

Thought: The process of taking the role of another

An individuals interpretation of symbols is modified by his or her own

thought processes.

Symbolic interactionists describe thinking as inner conversation.

Mead called this inner dialogue minding.

Minding is the pause thats reflexive (automatic). Its the

two second delay while we mentally rehearse our next move, test
alternatives, anticipate others reactions.
We naturally talk to ourselves in order to sort out the
meaning of a difficult situation.
But we need language. Before we can think, we must be
able to interact symbolically.
Mead believed animals are unable to think reflexively
because, with few exceptions, they cannot communicate symbolically.

Selves Are Created Through Communication

Self is an ongoing process combining the I and one

I novel, unpredictable, and unorganized.

Me image of self seen through the looking glass of other
peoples reactions
o
Generalized other
o
Significant others (a person who has influenced your view about
who you are)
o
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The Self: Reflections in a looking glass

Mead said we paint our self-portrait by taking the role of the other
imagining how we look to another person.

Interactionists call this the looking-glass self and insist that its socially
constructed.

Symbolic interactionists state the self is a function of language.

Without talk there would be no self-concept, so one has to be a member of a
community before consciousness of self sets in. The self is always in change,
based on new acquaintances of novel conversations with significant others.

The self is an ongoing process combining the I and the me.

I novel, unpredictable, and unorganized.

o
The I is the spontaneous, driving force that fosters all that is
novel, unpredictable, and unorganized in the self.

The I is forever elusive (difficult to describe).

o
Me image of self seen through the looking glass of other
peoples reactions

The me is viewed as an objectthe image of self seen in

the looking-glass of other peoples reactions.

If the I speaks, the me hears. And the I of this

moment is present in the me of the next moment.
Community: The socializing effect of others expectations
The me is formed by those who surround you.
The generalized other shapes how we think and interact within a
community.

The generalized other is an organized set of information about

what the general expectations and attitudes of a social group are.
o
We refer to this whenever we try to behave or try to evaluate our
behavior in a social situation. We take the position of the generalized other
and assign meaning to ourselves and our actions.
To summarize, there is no me at birth. The me is formed only
through continual symbolic interactionfirst with family, next with
playmates, then in institutions like schools.
o