Symbolic Interactionism

The micro-scale social interaction which plays a vital role in the social psychology and the urban sociology has been put greater emphasis in Symbolic interactionism. The concept of symbolic interactionism is derived from the work of George Herbert Mead and Charles Cooley in the American pragmatism. The term Symbolic interactionism has been coined by the student of Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer. Blumer has also put forth a summary that people’s action toward a particular is basically derived from the meaning what are produced as a result of the social interaction. The influence of Herbert Mead and John Dewey who put emphasize on the relationship between the human beings and the environment made Herbert Blumer to bring forth new ideologies.

There has been so many research carried out by the sociologists in this field which has brought several conclusions. The researchers mainly used qualitative research methods. Participant observation has been their main role which has given them the privilege to study the different aspects of social interaction and individuals’ selves. This participant observation has permitted the researcher to utilize the symbols and meanings as mentioned in the Art Worlds of Howard S. Becker.

The symbolic interactionism which mainly influenced the sociological areas is the collective behavior, the criminology, and the sociology of emotions.

There are three basic premises set by Herbert Blumer the one who coined the term symbolic interactionism.

The first one is that the meaning that human being assign to a particular thing forms the basis for them act toward that particular thing. The second one is that the social interaction that an individual has with other people in the society forms the basis for the emerging of the meaning for such things. The third one is that the interpretative process which is used by an individual while dealing with other things he/she faces makes him/her to handle the meanings that are derived. The meaning is modified in this interpretative process.

After Mead, Blumer emphasized the claim that everyone interact with another person not by simply reacting to his action but by defining or interpreting his actions. There is no response created just directly to the actions instead the responses are created as a result of the meaning they infer and attach to the actions they encounter. This research has concluded that interpretation is the key for knowing the meaning of another person. So, human interaction is characterized by the utilization of symbols and significations.

Questions:

• Who coined the term symbolic interactionism?
• What are the three premises of symbolic interactionism?