SOCI 275 Symbolic Interactionism
What is a social act?
Behaviour that takes account of other behaviours and is shaped to fit with another person, group, organization. It emerges through communication and interpretation.
The role of science (Pragmatism vs. Classic rationalism)
- pg 5 ? -Philosophy could not seek timeless truths but seek and apply knowledge that can be used now and improve immediate circumstances -Science should be used for the issues we face and take action to promote public good
What are the importance of significant symbols?
-Allow to exchange shared meaning with others and communicate effectively with them -Let us anticipate how others are likely to act in a situation and let us match our actions with theres (e.g funeral staff)
Why is symbolic interactionism matter to you?
-Better understanding of how and why you think, feel, and act the way you do -Insight into how others effect your behaviour and how your behaviour affects others
What were the contributions of George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)?
-He lead pragmatist theory into sociology -Gave a detailed account of human consciousness and behaviour -Described how they emerge from processes of interaction and communication --> based on: emergence, process, agency
Nature of reality (Pragmatism vs. Classic rationalism)
-Pragmatists rejected rationalist view of reality. Reality wasn't a bunch of facts ready to be "discovered" but instead was always unfinished and 'in the making'. -Reality also had many natures and possibilities (John Dewey) -The meaning of an object is shaped and reshaped by interactions (it can take different meanings)
The Nature of the Human knower (Pragmatism vs. Classic rationalism)
-Rejected that humans were passive knowers (through metaphysical realm) -We acquire knowledge through ongoing experiences --> active exchange with physical and social environment -Mind and matter are linked (Pierce and Dewey) -Knowing = doing and making -Human transform objects --> objects of knowledge -Give meaning based on how we respond to objects (e.g the beer can)
The relative nature of truth and linkage of facts, values and action (Pragmatism vs. Classic rationalism)
-WE create meaning and reality -People actively carve out facts and realities based on their own interest and purposes -Scientific goal for truth is just a moral activity
What are the three boundaries of symbolic interactionism?
1. Human beings act towards things on the basis of what the object means to them 2. Meaning arises from the social interaction that one has with another 3. The meanings are shaped and reshaped through the process of interpretation
What are the guiding assumptions regarding symbolic interactionism?
1. Human beings are unique creatures because of their ability to use symbols 2. People become distinctly human through interaction 3. People are conscious, self-reflexive beings who shape their own behaviour 4. People are purposive creatures who act in and towards situations 5. Society consists of people engaging in symbolic interaction 6. Emotions are central to meaning, behaviour, and self 7. The "social act" should be the fundamental unit of analysis 8. Sociological methods should enable researchers to grasp people's meanings
What are Blumer's three premises?
1. If we want to understand human behaviour we need to know how humans define things (e.g paper seen as trash) 2. Meaning comes from social interactions (e.g Baseball game) 3. The meaning of things are altered by our understanding of them (e.g Process of interpretation and choosing appropriate actions)
What are the key features of joint action?
1. Joint action is often routine and repetitive 2.Joint action is typically linked to a larger and complex network of actions 3. Connected to previous contexts and forms of conducts
What does join action recognize?
1. We are all individuals 2. WE are all stand-ins, or representatives of groups, classes, and other social categories
What is the perspective of symbolic interactionism?
A perspective that is concerned with meanings that people give to actions and events and to understand how meanings are constructed and negotiated
What is symbolic interactionism?
A theoretical perspective of how people interact, interpret and give meaning. Human meaning and actions arise from communication, interpretation and role taking.
What is a significant symbol?
A word or gesture with a shared meaning to an individual and others, demanding the same response in the person using it as it does in others. (we can anticipate other's behaviours based on shared meanings)
What is mead's third theme of agency?
Agency focuses on human free will and creativity. He saw people as active and creative agents that shape their own worlds and behaviours. He disagreed with Watson on the 'observable' aspects of the human, ignoring the internal conduct of humans
What is mead's process theme?
All key elements of human behaviour -- consciousness, activity, interaction, role taking, selfhood and society are always in flux, not fixed or statistic
Who are the main pragmatism thinkers?
Charles S. Peirce, William James, John Dewey
What does symbolic interaction say about yourself and your choices?
Interactionism says that we use symbols and meanings to create our own self definitions which guides our actions in different contexts. But these definitions are also affected by others, actually our 'self' takes part in a much larger society and is constrained by social control. Take for example, women shaving their legs. The choice is shaped by larger social context, so we don't have much freedom or agency. Although, we have the freedom to choose the way we interact with others and over come these constraints.
What is blumer's view on the interpretative process?
Interpretation is a reflex and isn't based on social meanings. People must figure out the particular meaning in a given social situation and choose the appropriate action, interpretation allows to create new meaning and adjust our action accordingly (e.g Someone smiles to you at a party)
What does symbolic interactionism explain?
It explains the connection between individuals and social organizations. It emphasizes that people create, negotiate, and change social meaning through interactions.
What is role taking?
It is the practice of seeing ourselves in someone else, (stepping in their shoes) and from then we coordinate ourselves to them
What is joint action?
Joint action is what people do together. Interaction believes social life is made out of joint actions.
What is language?
Language is a system of symbols we use for communication in social situations. These symbols give meaning to events, objects, and relation in our lives
What is the mead's concept of emergence of the mind?
Mead believed that the emergence of the mind come from social factors. The capacity of the mind develops through the interaction with societies or others.
What is mead's concept of 'minded behaviour"?
Mead thought the mind was an active and ongoing process, not just reactive. Through the exchange of significant symbols people make and interpret meaning.
What is the emergence theme?
Mead's theory is that humans are capable of language and communication, in that way have created social worlds that escape the demands of nature
What is mead's concept of "taking the role of others?"
Placing ourselves in the position of others we learn what things mean. When we converse or think with ourselves, there is a system of shared meaning and internal conversation (thinking).
Pragmatism vs. Classic rationalism
Pragmatist differed from classic rationalism in multiple ways: -Nature of reality -Nature of human knower -Relationship between facts, values, truth, and knowledge -Role of Science
What is agency?
The ability to make choices and practice our control over one's action (the amount of freedom and restriction we have)
What is mead's social behaviourism?
The behaviour of the body and mind arise from social interactions. People are symbolic and use symbols to create objects, define situations, and plan actions so people construct their own reality and control over it.
What is the mind?
The process of a mental activity made of self-interaction (thinking) based on socially acquired symbols. The process comes when we are faced with a problem.
What is meaning?
The purpose or significance of something. Interactionists believe that we give meaning to a thing based on how we interact with it (e.g beer can)
What is pragmatism?
The reality of objects come from we interact them. Our reality is shaped by our interactions with the environment.
What did George Herbert Mead contribute?
Theory and method focusing on interaction as a way to form consciousness and behaviour
What are the pragmatists's view on judging truth? ,
Verifying truth is the act of determining value -Criteria of truth is realizing some kind of value Truth of an idea is determined by how 'practical' it is (e.g if it works then it is true) -Truth is not absolute Truth is relative to a person's need and interests
What are significant symbols?
When people use the same words or gestures to call for the same meaning as they do for themselves Most interactions between humans are based on exchanging significant symbols
