And Social Interactionism: Symbolic Interactionism

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Required Question: The symbolic interactionist approach is, quite literally, how we interpret the world around us, given the symbols which construct society; essentially, it is how we interpret the meanings of the goings-on around us in the everyday world. We interpret these meanings based off of learned meanings, which are derived from a societal interpretation that is reproduced both consciously and unconsciously through the members of a society every day. The symbolic interactionist approach exists from a social constructionist standpoint in the assumptions that something is real in its consequences to us; in essence, it is our social reality. Associated with the symbolic interactionist approach is Mead. Mead rejected behaviorism and argued …show more content…

Along with these premises is the knowledge that society can change any symbol, at any time, for any reason. This can happen on a global scale, or a smaller local scale, or even an individual scale. These premises, along with the notion that the meaning of a symbol can change, all result in a “web” of social interaction. This web allows members of society to encounter a symbol, react to it (most likely in accordance to the societal standard for said symbol) and to then store away the information on how the situation was handled in order to recall this information the next time they are confronted with the same symbol. This web then leads to the development of core …show more content…

This assumptions sums up the theory that society, through the constant interpretation and reproduction of symbols, helps to shape people into who they are; no one is truly a “unique” individual, everyone is simply a reflection of who society has made them to be. Member of society become a social construct, in that no one is born with a sense of who they are, they become who they are based off of society’s symbolic

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