Week11.2--reading blog--LI LINLIN

 (1)Summary:

Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theoretical framework that focuses on how people create and interpret symbols and their meanings through social interaction and the use of shared language. This theory holds that people's social reality is perceived and defined through everyday interactions, rather than in direct response to physical reality. The symbols and concepts that emerge from these interactions form the basis of human behavior and interaction.

This theoretical framework has its roots in mid-20th century American pragmatic philosophy, particularly the work of George Herbert Mead. Mead's view that the individual self is a product of society was collated and published by his students after his death. This framework was further developed by Herbert Brummer, who not only coined the term "symbolic interactionism" but also deepened its interpretation and application.

Symbolic interactionism consists of three basic assumptions: first, individuals construct meaning through the process of communication; Second, self-concept is the motivation of behavior; Third, there is a unique relationship between individuals and society. These assumptions highlight that human behavior is based on the meaning assigned to things, and that these meanings are constantly reinterpreted and adjusted through continuous social interaction.

Modern symbolic interactionism, particularly the work of Goffman and other theorists, focuses more on psychosocial than purely sociological, focusing on deviations in participants' mood swings and behavior, and how these affect the understanding and practice of social interaction.

David A. Snow further proposed four orientation principles of symbolic interactionism: human agency, interactive determinism, symbolization and emergence. These principles emphasize human initiative, the central role of interaction, the meaning construction of symbols, and the constant change and progress of social life.

Although symbolic interactionism provides profound insights, it is often criticized for its broad scope as a theoretical framework rather than a specific theory and is difficult to use in concrete theoretical construction and empirical research. However, theories derived from symbolic interactionism, such as role theory and identity theory, provide a clear framework for defining concepts and their relationships in specific contexts, allowing scholars to develop and test hypotheses.

In conclusion, symbolic interactionism not only reveals how people construct meaning and social reality in their social interactions, but also shows how these interactions profoundly influence individual behavior and the formation of social structures. This theoretical framework emphasizes the interplay and dependence between social structures and individual behavior, and how social reality is co-constructed and understood by individuals in ongoing interactions.

(2) Interesting point: 

Symbolic interactivism emphasizes that an individual's self-concept is constructed through the use and interpretation of symbols in social interactions. According to this theory, individual self-awareness and behavioral motivation do not exist a priori, but are formed and continuously developed in the social environment through interaction with others and the shared use of symbols. This view reveals the dynamic and social dependence of the individual's self-perception and the active role of the individual in the process of social construction.

(3) Question:

What are the specific implications of symbolic interactionism for understanding the social structure of human behavior?