Week 3: Symbolic Interactionalism

symbolic interactionalism

A micro-level approach that examines social life primarily as a function of interactions between people, groups, and institutions in particular contexts

symbolic interactionalism

a lens to examine the social world as a product or function of interactions between people or between groups (it does not exist in a vacuum!)

face-to-face interaction, what follows in its wake

What does symbolic interactionalism prioritize? (2)

meaning, sign, symbol

What are the 3 building blocks of symbolic interactionalism?

meaning

purpose or significance of something (something that emerges outside of engaging with a stimulus or responding with a stimulus)

fire

What does smoke mean?

affection

What does a kiss on the cheek mean?

antagonism

What does a smack to the face mean?

meaning

Gestures and even inanimate objects carry __________

sign

object or event that is directly connected to the natural world and calls forth a fixed or habitual response (You don’t necessarily have to consciously react. It is something you do rather quickly.)

sign, senses

A _______’s meaning is associated with its physical and natural form and can be grasped through the ________

symbol

any object, gesture, or word that is socially created and becomes an abstract representation of something else

symbols

_________ have to be contextualized within the human relationship

hello

If you see somebody wave their hand, what can you conclude about that symbol and what it is trying to communicate? → waving = ________

happiness, joy, approachable

If you see somebody smile at you, what can you conclude about that symbol and what it is trying to communicate? → smile = ____________ (3)

language

a system of symbols that members of a culture use for representation and communication

language

an example of an important symbol that we all use

significant symbol

Language is a __________ ________: a symbol that calls for the same response and has the same meaning for all parties

people act towards things based on the meanings they ascribe to those things, the meanings of those things are derived from the social interactions that people have with others and society, meanings are handled in and modified through an interpretive process that we use when dealing with the things that we encounter (meanings can change)

What are Blumer’s Three Premises?

humans have the ability of interpretation (basically meanings can change)

According to Blumer, what makes us human? What distinguishes humans from animals?

animals don’t have the capacity to understand significant symbols, specifically language

According to Mead, what distinguishes humans from animals?

mind

Mead stated that language is a significant symbol and building block for “______”

mind, language

According to Mead, the human being is someone who has “______”. In order to acquire it, you have to be able to master, understand, and interpret ___________.

mind, norms

A feral child is a child that did not grow up around humans, either in isolation or with animals. So the behaviors they do is not what we would expect of a socialized person. This is an example of why _____ is so important, because growing up around other humans means you are internalizing _______

mind

reflexiveness, the ability to take yourself as an object, the step outside of yourself to think about how others will see you

socialized

To acquire Mind is to be __________ into what it means to be human

generalized other

How do you develop “mind”?

the collection of attitudes, expectations, norms of one’s community/communities

representation

Don’t think about the generalized other as a physical people. It is a _____________ of the different attitudes, customs, and norms within a specific community.

taking the role of the other

How do you develop “mind”?

the ability to imagine how other people think and feel in a situation

the “me”

How do you develop “mind”?

our internalization of the expectations of our community (in other words: the internalization of the generalized other)

the “I”

How do you develop “mind”?

our impulsive response to a situational stimulus, and our creative response to the internalized expectations of the generalized other

I, me

self as a social process: the internal dialogue between the ____ and the _____

self as a social process

This is what Mead says it means to be human, to be a person.

false

The aroma of fresh-baked cookies is an example of a symbol: True or False

dramaturgy

Goffman’s Dramaturgy

the people are actors and society is a stage

interaction order

Goffman’s Dramaturgy

largely invisible and unspoken set of norms and rituals (e.g. greetings) followed by members of a society in face-to-face interactions

social facts

Goffman’s Dramaturgy

“_______ _______” (the self, identity) are made through cooperative social actions (you can’t gain a personhood without engaging in these rituals)

interaction order

Goffman’s Dramaturgy

These are other cues, other norms, unspoken. You don’t have to talk about it specifically to know that this is how you should act.

definition of the situation

The agreed upon, subjective understanding of what will happen in a given situation or setting, and who will play which roles in the action

action line is set

When we comply with the norms of the definition of the situation, the ‘_______________’ = everyone knows their position

impression management

when people try to influence the perceptions that others have of them

expressions given, expressions given off

What are the 2 types of impression management?

expressions given

verbal symbols that convey the information you want to express about yourself (usually verbal)

expressions given off

involuntary expressive behavior (what we communicate unintentionally) (usually nonverbal)

expressions given

Which type of impression management is this?

“the Nod” = “what’s up?”

expressions given

Which type of impression management is this?

words said in disgust = wants to convey disgust

expressions given off

Which type of impression management is this?

you stub your toe and say “FUCK” in front of your grandma

expressions given off

Which type of impression management is this?

tripping

expressions given off

Which type of impression management is this?

bad breath

expressions given off

the forms of behavior that contradict expressions given → they violate our expressions given

working consensus

the agreement we arrive at that we are going to fulfill our role

interaction order

Working Consensus

The _____________ __________ of one setting is not the same for another