SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM: ACCORDING TO BLUMER, MEAD, GOFFMAN, WEBER - SCIENCE - 2024

The symbolic interaction is a sociological theory that is also related to social psychology and anthropology. Its main objective is the study of society based on communication.

This current of thought has had a great influence on the study of the media. Symbolic interactionism is part of the currents of the interpretive paradigm, which seeks to study social interactions from the point of view of each of those who participate in them.

Symbolic interactionism first emerged with the Chicago School in the 1920s. Its appearance was mainly due to the rise of communication systems, democracy, and immigration of European origin.

His main areas of study were the relationship of the individual with his community, human ecology, and the importance of interpretation within human communications.

Premises of symbolic interactionism according to Blumer

The creator of the term "symbolic interaction" was Herbert Blumer, an American sociologist who provided much of the foundations of this discipline. His works on symbolic interactionism are based on the studies of George Herbert Mead, a professor at the University of Chicago.

Blumer summarized his ideas on symbolic interactionism in a single book, in which he spoke of what for him were the three basic premises of this current:

• Humans behave in a certain way towards other people or objects based on the meanings they give them. These meanings are totally subjective, and do not have to be in accordance with social norms.
• The meanings that are given to objects and people arise from the interactions of each of us with them. Therefore, these meanings are not inherent, and can be modified.
• Meanings are constructed and modified through an interpretive process that takes place when a person has to interact with what is being encountered. In this process, the person selects, transforms and organizes the meanings that each thing is given.

Blumer took these ideas to the next level, stating that society is nothing more than the interaction between the people who make it up. Therefore, social reality is not something tangible, but exists only in human experience.

This idea has earned him much criticism, since some sociologists consider that Blumer's approach is only theoretical and that it cannot be applied in real life.

Premises of symbolic interactionism according to Mead

George Mead, another of the pioneers of the theory of symbolic interactionism, focused on the ways in which people relate to the objects around us and to other people. In his writings, he identified mainly two types of symbolic interactions:

• The language
• The game

These forms of interaction have in common that they are based on symbols shared by all participants in the communication process; otherwise, the exchange of information between them would be impossible.

Game

For Mead, play is the fundamental process by which children acquire meanings that they will then use to interpret the world around them. By adopting certain roles during play (such as "doctor," "policeman," or "cowboy"), children are able to put themselves in other people's shoes and understand the rules that govern social interactions.

In the same way, through play, children are able to learn more about the objects that surround them and the usefulness they have for them. These games become more and more complex as children mature and understand their environment more fully.

In the more complex forms of play, children must be able to understand the roles of the other participants as well. In this way, a paradigm shared by all the people who are part of the interaction is created, what Mead calls "the generalized other."

Language

As for language, Mead described it as communication through symbols with meaning. Using this process, the individual is able to internalize the attitudes of others towards himself. Therefore, this sociologist considered that language is one of the most basic pillars of society.

According to Mead, language is also the basic way in which people build an image of ourselves. This occurs through the process of symbolic interaction when communicating with others.

Premises of symbolic interactionism according to Goffman

Irving Goffman is another of the promoters of the symbolic interactionism movement. His main contribution was the interpretation of people as "actors", in such a way that their actions are determined by the type of interaction they have with others.

The fundamental principles of symbolic interactionism according to Goffman are the following:

• Human beings, unlike other living beings, have the ability to think.
• This ability to think depends on social interactions.
• Through social interactions, people learn symbols and meanings that allow them to use their ability to think.
• People are capable of modifying their meanings based on their interpretation of each situation, which affects their way of acting.
• People are capable of making these modifications because they are also capable of interacting with themselves. This allows them to consider different courses of action, study their advantages and disadvantages, and choose the one with the best result they think will give them.
• The set of actions and interactions is what forms human societies.

In addition to this, Goffman made symbolic interactionism more accessible to the majority of the population, explaining the idea of ​​symbols as the roles that each of us takes during our social interactions.

Premises of symbolic interactionism according to Weber

Although the term "symbolic interactionism" was not coined until much later, Max Weber was one of the first thinkers to speak of the importance of meanings in people's lives.

His main idea on this topic was that people act based on their interpretation of the world around them, the things that happen to them, and themselves.

Therefore, to understand the motivations of an individual, it is necessary to learn more about the symbols with which he is operating.

References

1. "Symbolic interactionism" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org.
2. "Symbolic Interaction and the Emergence of Self" in: Sociology Guide. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Sociology Guide: sociologyguide.com.
3. "Herbert Blumer" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.
4. "Learn About Symbolic Interactionism" at: Thought Co. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from Thought Co: thoughtco.com.
5. "Erving Goffman" in: University of Hawaii. Retrieved on: March 7, 2018 from University of Hawaii: hawaii.edu.