Symbolic interactionism

From Freepedia

Symbolic interactionism is a sociological perspective (paradigm) which examines how individuals and groups interact, focusing on the creation of personal identity through interaction with others. Of particular interest is the relationship between individual action and group pressures.

This perspective examines the idea that subjective meanings are socially constructed, and that these subjective meanings interrelate with objective actions.

Symbolic interactionism suggests that the first unit of analysis is the interaction of individuals. Through their interactions, individuals create structures, which are symbolic structures. It is not that reality imposes upon us to name things, but rather that we require giving names to things in order to make them real. Through interaction we create structure that we all agree on: this is how society is created. Symbolic interactionism allows individuals to negotiate, manipulate, and change the structure and reality to a certain extent. Individuals are already born into a society which has symbolic structures. Symbolic interactionism is very physical; it is about the things we see.

The unit of analysis is face-to-face interaction. This leads to the main deficiency of the approach: they tend to ignore the material reality outside the interaction. They ignore things that cannot be aggregated into the interaction, such as demography. There are other factors that must be taken into consideration, factors which are not visible and are not overtly present in the face-to-face interaction.

Noted symbolic interactionists are Herbert Blumer and Erving Goffman. George Herbert Mead is seen as a predecessor to symbolic interactionism.