Symbolic Interactionism
The objective of this study is to contrast and compare the work of Simmel and Mead on Symbolic Interactionism. Toward this end, a review of literature in this area of inquiry will be conducted.
Symbolic interactionism is a primary sociological perspective that George Herbert Mead advanced through bringing "rigorous substance to this emergent micro-level analysis." (Bloch, nd) From the view of symbolic interactionism, "society is the sum total of the countless daily interactions that people engage in." (Bloch, nd) Symbols are reported to be differentiated from signs "in that a sign is something that stands for itself." (Bloch, nd)
The Approach of Mead
The approach of Mead to symbolic interactionism is such that was developed through "synthesis of other schools of thought" including pragmatism which view the social world as a growing and developing creation that in order to be understood must be observed both systematically and scientifically. From this view, "truth and reality are not frozen abstractions but actively created in the social world." (Bloch, nd)
Another primary influence on Mead was behaviorism or the study of behavior that is observable and that views the manner in which "people and animals respond to stimuli." (Bloch, nd) Mead is reported to have "embraced a contrasting approach: philosophical realism, in which the larger social order very much shapes and controls one's perceptions and actions." (Bloch, nd) Mead provides a theory about the process of the individual becoming a social being, or that of socialization defined as "the way in which socially formed norms, beliefs and values come to exist within the individual to the degree that these things appear natural." (Allan, 2004) Mead is reported to provide the "foundation for the sociological understanding of the self…" (Allan, 2004)
III. Mead vs. Simmel
Mead is focused on the social basis of "meaning, self and action" and the question of "where is meaning and how is it created." (Allan, 2004) The keys to knowing according to Mead include those of "pragmatism, action, meaning, social objects, interaction, mind, self, generalized other, and institutions." (Allan, 2004) Simmel held that key to everything is that of 'interaction' reported to arise "on the basis...
Symbolic Interactionism Healthcare sociological theory Symbolic interaction theory: Healthcare (Obesity prevention) Symbolic interaction theory "focuses attention on the way that people interact through symbols: words, gestures, rules, and roles" (Plunkett n.d.). The definition of health is an important component of the cultural language in which we operate. Although our definition of health sometimes seems self-evident, like something unchanging and unwavering across the eras, it is a culturally-constructed notion. This can be seen in
There are those that believe that qualitative research is the best form of research, whereas others insist that only quantitative methods are appropriate in a research environment (CSU, 2004). Still others argue that both approaches are useful and appropriate though one is often more indicated than the other depending on the exact phenomena being examined and the nature or intent of the research being conducted (Potter, 1996; Lee & Poynton,
Breaching Experiment A Game of Twister Played at Macy's Department Store Brief Description of the Breaching Experiment My daughter, Kayley, who is fourteen and one of her friends, Dani, with her mother's permission, participated in a brief experiment. The experiment was to play the popular game "Twister" in a social setting that would be extremely uncommon for something like that to occur. The three of us took the game to the mall and
Empathy and rapport with subject has to be profound, particularly where the researcher may have a priori thoughts or personal stakes with the matter at hand. If the latter exists, it may be better that she not do the research. Analysis of the research can be somewhat daunting given the vast amount of material (interview notes, tape-recording, jottings etc.) generated by the interviews. The way one goes about this is
Disability Rights Movement and How it Affected Employment According to the oxford advanced leaner's dictionary disability is the state of being disabled or lack of something that is considered necessary, disabilities could be of sight, hearing, speech and diseases among others. Baron (2002, 585-599) in his studies gave a broader definition of disability in which he termed it as a complex phenomena that reflects on the interaction between the physical body
Sociological Theory Sociology There were several theories that I found interesting as a part of the course, yet the theory that I connected with most personally was Symbolic Interaction. This theory was established first by George Herbert Mead, who coined the phrase "symbolic interactionism" first. The theory has been present in the field of sociology for several decades, and after the death of Mead, other sociologists took on the theory in
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now