Social Action theories - Symbolic Interactionism

Question 1

What is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 1

-Creating the social world through our actions and interactions
- based on meanings we give to situations
- symbols, especially language.

Question 2

What is MEAD’s theory?

Answer 2

Behaviour is not fixed by pre-programmed instincts.

Question 3

What does MEAD argue we do instead?

Answer 3

Respond to the world by giving meanings to things that are significant to us.

Question 4

What do we attach to the world?

Answer 4

Symbols

Question 5

What does MEAD say we don’t do?

Answer 5

Respond to a stimulus in an automatic predetermined way.- an interpretive phase comes between a stimulus and our response.

Question 6

What is the formula?

Answer 6

Stimulus —— Interpretive phase —– Response.

Question 7

What do we have to do before we interpret the meaning of a stimulus?

Answer 7

Interpret its meaning.

Question 8

How do we interpret others’ meanings?

Answer 8

TAKING ON THE ROLE OF THE OTHER.

Question 9

What does MEAD mean by ‘the generalised other’.

Answer 9

To function as members of society, we need to be able to see ourselves as others see us.

Question 10

How do we see ourselves as others see us?

Answer 10

Through shared symbols and (especially) language.

Question 11

What do we become conscious of in terms of MEAD’s theory?

Answer 11

The ways of acting that others require of us.

Question 12

How many key principles of interactionism did BLUMER identify?

Answer 12

3

Question 13

What number of BLUMER’s principle is our actions being based on the meaning we give to situations and people?

Answer 13

BLUMER’s 1st key principle (not an automatic response to stimuli)

Question 14

What is BLUMER’s principle that says our meanings arise from interactions, and to some extent are negotiable and changeable?

Answer 14

BLUMER’s 2nd key principle

Question 15

What Key principle from BLUMER is the meanings we give to situations are mainy the results of taking on the role of the others?

Answer 15

BLUMER’s 3rd key principle

Question 16

However, what does BLUMER’s view of human conduct strongly contrast with?

Answer 16

Functionalists (structural theorists).

Question 17

How do Functionalists see individuals?

Answer 17

Puppets who passively respond to the system’s needs.

Question 18

What ensures that individuals conform to society’s noms and perform roles in a fixed and predictable way?

Answer 18

Socialisation and social control.

Question 19

BLUMER argues that although our actions are partly predictable because we internalise the expectations of others, what is there always room for?

Answer 19

Choice in how we perform our roles.

Question 20

What is THOMAS’ labelling concept?

Answer 20

The definition of the situation: defining something labels it.

Question 21

What does THOMAS argue?

Answer 21

If people define a situation as real, it will have real consequences.

Question 22

If we believe something to be true, what will this affect?

Answer 22

How we act, and in turn, may affect those involved (teacher labelling).

Question 23

What is COOLEY’s labelling concept?

Answer 23

The looking glass self.

Question 24

What does COOLEY argue about our self concept?

Answer 24

It comes from our ability to take the role of the other.

Question 25

What do others act as?

Answer 25

A looking glass to us.

Question 26

How do we see ourselves in terms of COOLEY’s theory?

Answer 26

Mirrored in how others respond to us, and we become what they see in us.

Question 27

What is the labelling concept that is linked to BECKER and LEMERT’s study on mental health?

Answer 27

‘Career’

Question 28

What is the idea of ‘career’?

Answer 28

A label can lead an individual to make progression within a labelled category.

Question 29

What is BECKER and LEMERT’s study?

Answer 29

a person is labelled a ‘pre-patient’, ‘in-patient’, to being ‘discharged’.

Question 30

Just as a normal career gives us status, what is mental patient?

Answer 30

Mental patent is our ‘master status’.

Question 31

However, what is interactionism generally regarded as?

Answer 31

a voluntaristic theory that explains free will.

Question 32

However, what has labelling been accused of?

Answer 32

Determinism- of seeing our identities as shaped in the way others label.

Question 33

What does GOFFMAN describe about the dramaturgical model?

Answer 33

We construct ourselves by manipulating other people’s impression of us.

Question 34

What analogies does GOFFMAN use?

Answer 34

Drama: actors/scripts/props/backstage

Question 35

What are the 2 key dramaturgical concepts?

Answer 35

Presentation of self & impression management.

Question 36

What is presentation of self?

Answer 36

Seek to present a particular image of ourselves to our audiences, controlling the impression of our ‘performance’ given.

Question 37

What is impression management?

Answer 37

We use techniques like voices, gestures, dress, makeup etc…

Question 38

What is there between our real self and our roles, which are loosely scripted by society and allow us a lot of freedom in how we play them?

Answer 38

A ‘gap’ or ‘role distance’

Question 39

In interactions, what does everyone play?

Answer 39

The role of the actor and the audience.

Question 40

How is GOFFMAN’s approach criticised?

Answer 40

being a loose collection of descriptive comments, rather than an explanatory theory.

Question 41

What do ethnomethodologists argue about interactionism?

Answer 41

Correct on focussing on actors meanings, but fails to explain HOW actors create meanings.