As mentioned in the present chapter, symbolic interactionism is an important theory in sociology that examines “how we [as humans] construct meanings, how we use symbols to communicate with one another and how symbols are the foundation of our world” (Henslin, 2012). In the field of sociology this theory consists of three fundamental themes –“humans have a self,” “people construct meanings, and act on the basis of those meanings” and “people take into account the possible reactions of others” (Henslin, 2012). Such themes aid in piecing together how we as a shared society and group of individuals find meaning in our lives as well as in the world around us through the incorporation of symbols. Thus, the overarching aim for the theory of “symbolic…
The unjustifiable sufferings of migrant farm workers in the United States These days, even though we are fighting strongly for human rights issues such as human trafficking, racial equality, asylum seekers and refugees, child abuse and LGBTQ rights, we have to admit that not everyone is equal. We worked hard to ensure that the people around us have the rights they deserved, but we are ignorant to the suffering of others. In his book Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States, Seth Holmes explores the lives of the Mexican workers who cross the border illegally to come to the U.S and provides an interesting idea on how “the fault lines of class, race, citizenship, gender, and sexuality” have shaped the experience of…
The movie The Breakfast Club may be just a film to some but to sociologists it can be looked at from interesting perspectives. Three main ones stand out specifically: Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict Theory. Functionalism looks at the different parts of society and how they all depend on each other to make a society work. Next is Symbolic Interactionism, which focuses on how symbols and words shape people into who they are and how they depending on their interpretation on that certain subject. To wrap it up I will talk about the Conflict Theory and how it relates to the movie by giving the higher ranked individuals power over the ones among the lower classes.…
Symbolic interactionism studies communication of meaning and social development of meaning using symbols, also the social construction of meaning that people impose on objects, events, and behaviours (Crossman, 2015). To most, someone that is homeless is considered to be someone that has no ambition to do anything with their lives or any desire to have any material objects in life (Christian, 2015).…
Take the example of a mass shooting, yes a mass shooting is a devastating loss of life and it directly impacts the families. However, think what comes from it, for example social change in our attitudes towards the mental ill and gun control; and how it creates a tighter group cohesion of the community. When thinking of symbolic interactionism, it takes a closer look at how people use symbols to share their views of the world. Symbolic interactions focus on a series of face to face interaction. A mass shooting in context of symbolic interactionism looks at human behavior and what external influences drove the individual to commit the act of violence.…
However, for those that are part of the group, they feel a sense of community and belonging – that is their norm. Conclusion Deviance is believed to occur when someone doesn’t follow the order of what others believe in. Being deviant can result in warranted negative consequences in the case of crimes against society; unwarranted negative consequences in the case of people who are just different from others; and positive change when people embrace that people are different and accept the…
I wanted to evaluate using symbolic interactionism, hoping I could justify picking at such a broad spectrum by using only micro analysis, and although there…
The world we live in today is empowered by technology. Everything people do all around the world is shared socially online with one another. While this has many advantages, it can leave peoples judgement in the wrong direction in certain situations which can lead to racial profiling. Racial profiling is when an individual has accusations of a person who they feel threatened by or have suspicion of committing a crime. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, this is a serious social problem that has been around for such a long time but is getting much attention now because of the innovation of technology and internet over the past decade.…
All of these characteristics of Symbolic Interactionism play into how people are able to gain a sense of who they are as an…
Social problems then are based on people’s learned behaviors and defining a social problem is subjective to society members (Kendall 19). Symbolic interactionists believe that prescription drug abuse would have to be a learned behavior. Data from the National Survey on Drug…
Symbolic interactionism functions with three main ideas, the first being: “Humans act towards things on the basis of the meanings that these things have for them” (Blumer, 1969, p.2). People will react to different types of things based on their own experiences with them. It is completely objective, depending on the person’s own personal feelings. Everyone’s meaning attached to a symbol can be different. The example of different symbol meanings that Blumer provides the reader with is a tree.…
According to The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology, interactionists who study symbolic interactionism, “consider the way that interpersonal relationships and everyday interactions shape definitions of deviance” (Ferris and Stein 158). For example, Edwin Sutherland approaches deviance through the differential association theory (Ferris and Stein 158). This is the idea that one learns deviant behavior through the interactions with those who commit deviant behavior. For example, children learn from the behaviors of the parents, including those that are deviant.…
This is because to me symbolic interactionism seems like a subset of critical race theory. The primary focus of symbolic interactionism is phrased in a way that could be an effect of critical race theory in general. For example because of the systemic nature of racism, through history there have been many negative images and stereotypes that Inhibit people of color in any public or government Institution. Not only this but as a person of color, I have experienced first-hand the barriers that characteristics of my race cause me, such as skin color, name, and even hair texture. Being a person of color, the stereotypes that people attach to me are always in the back of my mind…
238). Identifying and classifying forms of difference can have both a positive and negative impact (Hall, 1997, p. 238). On the one hand, stereotyping is “necessary for the production of meaning, the formation of language and culture” (Hall, 1997, p. 238). On the other hand, stereotyping “is threatening, a site of danger, of negative feelings, of splitting, hostility and aggression towards the ‘Other’” (Hall, 1997, p. 238).…
The interactionist perspective theory is an explanation used by sociologist to explain how everyday interactions contribute to someone’s identity. It’s not only limited to personal interactions but also includes how symbols play into it. The interactionist perspective focuses more on a micro or small-scale aspects of…