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Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that develops from practical considerations and alludes to humans' particular use of shared language to create common symbols and meanings, for use in both intra- and interpersonal communication.[1] This theory was founded by George Herbert Mead. According to Mead, symbolic interactionism is "The ongoing use of language and gestures in anticipation of how the other will react; a conversation".[2] According to Macionis, symbolic interactionism is "a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals". In other words, it is a frame of reference to better understand how individuals interact with one another to create symbolic worlds, and in return, how these worlds shape individual behaviors.[3] It is a framework that helps understand how society is preserved and created through repeated interactions between individuals. The interpretation process that occurs between interactions helps create and recreate meaning. It is the shared understanding and interpretations of meaning that affect the interaction between individuals. Individuals act on the premise of a shared understanding of meaning within their social context. Thus, interaction and behavior is framed through the shared meaning that objects and concepts have attached to them. Symbolic Interactionism refers to both verbal and nonverbal communication. From this view, people live in both natural and symbolic environments.
Symbolic interactionism comes from a sociological perspective which developed around the middle of the twentieth century and that continues to be influential in some areas of the discipline. It is particularly important in microsociology and social psychology. It is derived from the American philosophy of pragmatism and particularly from the work of George Herbert Mead, as a pragmatic method to interpret social interactions.[4][5]
^West, Richard L.; Turner, Lynn H. (3 March 2017). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application (6th ed.). New York. ISBN9781259870323. OCLC967775008.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Caglar, Sebnem; Alver, Fusun (2015). "The impact of symbolic interactionism on research studies about communication science". International Journal of Arts and Sciences. 8: 479–84. ProQuest1768593872.
^Nungesser, Frithjof. 2021. "Pragmatism and Interaction." In: Routledge International Handbook of Interactionism, edited by Dirk Vom Lehn, Natalia Ruiz-Junco, and Will Gibson. London; New York: Routledge: 25-36. ISBN 9780367227708.