The term was first used in his work, Human Nature and the Social Order. There are three main components of the looking glass self:. Cooley clarified this concept in his writings, stating that society is an interweaving and interworking of mental selves. Through interaction with others, we begin to develop an identity about who we are, as well as empathy for others.
It should be noted that symbolic interactionists advocate a particular methodology. Because they see meaning as the fundamental component of the interaction of human and society, studying human and social interaction requires an understanding of that meaning. Symbolic interactionists tend to employ more qualitative, rather than quantitative, methods in their research.
The most significant limitation of the symbolic interactionist perspective relates to its primary contribution: it overlooks macro-social structures e. Some symbolic interactionists, however, would counter that the incorporation of role theory into symbolic interactionism addresses this criticism. Learning Objectives Examine the differences between symbolic interactionism and other sociological perspectives. Key Points Symbolic interactionism has roots in phenomenology, which emphasizes the subjective meaning of reality.
Some norms, formal and informal, are practiced at the expense of others. Women were not allowed to vote in the United States until Gay and lesbian couples have been denied the right to marry in some states.
Racism and bigotry are very much alive today. Although cultural diversity is supposedly valued in the United States, many people still frown upon interracial marriages. Same-sex marriages are banned in most states, and polygamy—common in some cultures—is unthinkable to most Americans. At the core of conflict theory is the effect of economic production and materialism: dependence on technology in rich nations versus a lack of technology and education in poor nations.
People who have less power also have less ability to adapt to cultural change. This view contrasts with the perspective of functionalism. In the U. Symbolic interactionism is a sociological perspective that is most concerned with the face-to-face interactions between members of society.
Proponents of this theory conceptualize human interactions as a continuous process of deriving meaning from both objects in the environment and the actions of others.
This is where the term symbolic comes into play. Every object and action has a symbolic meaning, and language serves as a means for people to represent and communicate their interpretations of these meanings to others. Those who believe in symbolic interactionism perceive culture as highly dynamic and fluid, as it is dependent on how meaning is interpreted and how individuals interact when conveying these meanings.
Consider a current social trend that you have witnessed, perhaps situated around family, education, transportation, or finances. For example, many veterans of the Armed Forces, after completing tours of duty in the Middle East, are returning to college rather than entering jobs as veterans as previous generations did.
Confounding Expectation The woman in this picture blurs the boundaries between the symbols that are traditionally considered masculine or feminine. While she has long hair and is wearing makeup, typically feminine markers, her clothes are much more masculine in nature. Source: Boundless. Retrieved 27 Feb. Skip to main content. Gender Stratification and Inequality. Search for:. The Interactionist Perspective Learning Objectives Describe gender from the view of the interactionalist perspective.
Key Takeaways Scholars of interactionism study how individuals act within society and believe that meaning is produced through interactions. According to interactionists, gender stratification exists because people act toward each other on the basis of the meanings they have for each other, and that these meanings are derived from social interaction.
Thus, if society views a man as masculine, he will also perceive himself to be masculine. Gender is something we do or perform, not something we are.
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