SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
• Max Weber (1864-1920) and George H. Mead
(1863-1931)
 emphasized the subjective meaning of human
behavior, the social process, and pragmatism

• Herbert Blumer
 responsible for coining the term “symbolic
interactionism”
DEFINITION
• School of thought in sociology that explains social
behavior in terms of how people interact with
each other via symbols; in this view, social
structures are best understood in terms of such
individual interactions.
 Self develops through social interactions
(Mead).
FOCUS
Subjective actions of social life
Image of humans, rather than image of society
Research: observable face-to-face interactions
(interaction and meaning of events in individuals)
• How people communicate and interact with each
other depends on how they interpret factors such
as language, actions, and statuses (potential
symbols).
• For interactionists, humans are pragmatic actors
who continually must adjust their behavior to the
actions of other actors. We can adjust to these
actions only because we are able to interpret
them.
LANGUAGE AS A SYMBOL
Through language, humans are able to:
(i) Organize and store up a schemata of impressions
and understandings of the social and physical world;
(ii) transmit same to others who share the same
language form, and
(iii) apply same to new situations, perceptions or
symbolic communications received from others, and in
the process create new forms of understanding of such
signals (Meighan, 1986).
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
Blumer (1969) Manis & Meltzer (1978) Rose (1962); Ritzer (1996)
i. Human beings, unlike lower animals, are
endowed with the capacity for thought.
ii. The capacity for thought is shaped by social
interaction.
iii. In social interaction people learn the meanings
and the symbols that allow them to exercise their
distinctively human capacity for thought.
iv. Meanings and symbols allow people to carry on
distinctively human action and interaction.
v. People are able to modify or alter the meanings
and symbols that they use in action and interaction
on the basis of their interpretation of the situation.
vi. People are able to make these modifications and
alterations because, in part, of their ability to
interact with themselves, which allows them to
examine possible course of action, assess their
relative advantages and disadvantages, and then
choose one.
vii. The intertwined patterns of action and
interaction make up groups and societies.
*Hidden curriculum
• Standards of proper behavior for a society or culture that are
taught within the school system
• Not part of the articulated curricula for schools, but is taught
subtly through the reinforcement of behavior and attitudes
that are deemed appropriate by the society or culture
• Examples: Children are taught to raise their hand before asking
a question, ask permission before going to the restroom, only
work on certain subjects during certain hours of the day, not to
talk in class, and obey the rules (taught to maintain order)
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM AND
EDUCATION
The symbolic interactionist perspective focuses on
social interaction in the classroom, on school
playgrounds, and at other school-related venues.
Social interaction contributes to gender-role
socialization, and teachers’ expectations may
affect their students’ performance.
Example 1 – Teacher Expectancy
The actions of the teacher toward the student may help set up a
situation where the student can more easily fulfill his/her
expectations. In addition, the teacher may unconsciously look
for behaviors that support the teacher's expectations. In other
words, the expectations actually cause the behavior rather than
predict it.
For example, if a middle class teacher expects lower class
children to perform more poorly in school, s/he may act in ways
that actually encourage them to do so. S/he may not give the
lower class students the same attention that s/he gives the
other students in the class, may not give additional help or
homework that would enable them to do better in school, or
ignore them when they ask a question. (NVC)
Example 2 – Difference in student treatment according
to gender
Other research in the symbolic interactionist tradition focuses on
how teachers treat girls and boys. Many studies find that teachers
call on and praise boys more often (Jones & Dindia, 2004).
Teachers do not do this consciously, but their behavior nonetheless
sends an implicit message to girls that math and science are not
for them and that they are not suited to do well in these subjects.
ACTIVITY
1. In a ½ crosswise yellow paper, write down an example
of symbolic interactionism in the classroom. Highlight the
gesture/symbol used in the example provided.
REFERENCES
• https://www.enotes.com/research-starters/sociology-education-theory-
symbolic-interactionism
• http://open.lib.umn.edu/socialproblems/chapter/11-2-sociological-
perspectives-on-education/