Symbolic Interactionism
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DefinitionSymbolic interactionism is a major theoretical perspective in North American sociological social psychology that studies how individuals actively define their social reality and understand themselves by interacting with others. Symbolic interactionism has its origins in pragmatism, the American philosophy of how living things make practical adjustments to their surroundings. American sociologist and pragmatist philosopher George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) is generally identified as the founder of this theory, although the term symbolic interactionism was actually coined by Mead's student, Herbert Blumer, who formally articulated Mead's ideas following his death.
Assumptions and ImplicationsAccording to symbolic interactionism, social reality is not fixed and unchanging. Instead, people are continually constructing (and reconstructing) the meaning of their social lives through interacting with others. An essential component of this creative interaction is ...
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