Ishan BhatnagarAIR 5 · CSE 2025 · 183 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
Symbolic Interactionism argues that meaning is socially constructed through every-day interactions.
Body · points
| framework to understand everyday social | | interactions |
1.> Everyday social interactions shape social meanings -> Mead argued that interactions leads to the creation of common "signs" and "symbols" that allow for communication.
2.> Everyday interaction is imbued with reflexivity -> Interactionists give the concept of the "looking glass self" where the actor is constantly aware of the viewer and their impression of her.
3.> Interaction constructs social identity/ Mead's distinction between "I" and "Me" clarifies that
while "I" represents the impulsive, spontaneous self, "Me" is the socially constructed self arising out of interactions.
4.> Dramaturgy and Performativity | Irving Goffman has argued that people enact preset social roles while interacting, like teacher, friend, parent etc. They engage in impression management to ensure that they can project an idealized image of themselves.
5.> Contemporary relevance | In explaining consumption culture in Urban India, social media culture of 'curating an identity' etc.
Close · a summary
Hence, Symbolic Interaction helps us to understand everyday interaction as layered, performative and constitutive of social meaning.