Concept

Symbolic interactionism

Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that develops from practical considerations and alludes to humans' particular use of shared language to create common symbols and meanings, for use in both intra- and interpersonal communication. According to Macionis, symbolic interactionism is "a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals". In other words, it is a frame of reference to better understand how individuals interact with one another to create symbolic worlds, and in return, how these worlds shape individual behaviors. It is a framework that helps understand how society is preserved and created through repeated interactions between individuals. The interpretation process that occurs between interactions helps create and recreate meaning. It is the shared understanding and interpretations of meaning that affect the interaction between individuals. Individuals act on the premise of a shared understanding of meaning within their social context. Thus, interaction and behavior is framed through the shared meaning that objects and concepts have attached to them. From this view, people live in both natural and symbolic environments. Symbolic interactionism comes from a sociological perspective which developed around the middle of the twentieth century and that continues to be influential in some areas of the discipline. It is particularly important in microsociology and social psychology. It is derived from the American philosophy of pragmatism and particularly from the work of George Herbert Mead, as a pragmatic method to interpret social interactions. Symbolic interaction was conceived by George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley. Mead argued that people's selves are social products, but that these selves are also purposive and creative, and believed that the true test of any theory was that it was "useful in solving complex social problems". Mead's influence was said to be so powerful that sociologists regard him as the one "true founder" of the symbolic interactionism tradition.

About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related courses (13)
PHYS-727: Physics of Behavior
This doctoral class will focus on high-dimensional multi-agent behavioral data, modeled based on first principles or with statistical methods.
HUM-256: Brain, mind and society
Ce cours aborde les sujets relatifs aux recherches sur les bases cérébrales des actions humaines, en revenant notamment sur l'histoire du cerveau, les changements actuels liés au développement des neu
CS-411: Digital education
This course addresses the relationship between specific technological features and the learners' cognitive processes. It also covers the methods and results of empirical studies on this topic: do stud
Show more
Related lectures (33)
Urban Dynamics: Place de la Riponne
Explores the social dynamics of Place de la Riponne in Lausanne.
Qualitative Research Methods: Interview Preparation
Offers practical advice on conducting qualitative interviews, emphasizing trust-building and effective communication.
Urban Sports Space Study: Basketball and Skateboarding
Explores an anthropological study of urban sports spaces, focusing on basketball and skateboarding, revealing diverse user profiles and social interactions.
Show more