Sociology 545 Sociology 545

Fall 2005Fall 2005

Professor Schutte

Symbolic Interaction Symbolic Interaction TheoryTheory

Definition:Definition:

“ “The process by which individuals come The process by which individuals come to symbolically mediate their to symbolically mediate their environment, predominantly through the environment, predominantly through the use of language and other symbols, use of language and other symbols, such that the cognitive, interactional such that the cognitive, interactional and structural components of their and structural components of their existence take on extrinsic meaning”existence take on extrinsic meaning”

Symbolic Interaction Symbolic Interaction TheoryTheory

Four Tributaries:Four Tributaries:

Philosophical: Hegel’s Philosophical: Hegel’s “Dialectic”“Dialectic”

Psychological: Freud’s “Ego”Psychological: Freud’s “Ego”

Anthropological: Linton’s “Role”Anthropological: Linton’s “Role”

Sociological: Cooley’s “Self”Sociological: Cooley’s “Self”

Symbolic Interaction Symbolic Interaction TheoryTheory

Sociological Schools of Thought:Sociological Schools of Thought:

The Chicago School:The Chicago School:Mead and BlumerMead and Blumer

The Iowa School:The Iowa School:KuhnKuhn

The Interpretive School:The Interpretive School:Turner and GoffmanTurner and Goffman

Mead’s ApproachMead’s Approach

Gestures and Significant SymbolsGestures and Significant Symbols

Language as Syntax, Semantics Language as Syntax, Semantics and Paralinguisticsand Paralinguistics

The Relevance of the Whorf-Sapir The Relevance of the Whorf-Sapir HypothesisHypothesis

Mead’s ApproachMead’s Approach

Play, Game and the Generalized Play, Game and the Generalized OtherOther

The relevance of ImitationThe relevance of Imitation

The Generalized Other in contextThe Generalized Other in context

Mead’s ApproachMead’s Approach

The I and Me as components of The I and Me as components of SelfSelf

The I as social vs. Bio-cognitionThe I as social vs. Bio-cognition

The Me as contextualThe Me as contextual

Kuhn’s ApproachKuhn’s Approach

The Twenty Statements TestThe Twenty Statements Test

– Descriptive vs. EvaluativeDescriptive vs. Evaluative

– Prominence vs. SalienceProminence vs. Salience

– Status vs. Role (and Role Set)Status vs. Role (and Role Set)

The Interpretative The Interpretative ApproachApproach

Role and Self DistinctionRole and Self Distinction

- Role as dynamic – role taking- Role as dynamic – role taking

- Implies Self vs. Identity- Implies Self vs. Identity

Goffman’s VersionGoffman’s Version

The Stage MetaphorThe Stage Metaphor

– RegionsRegions

Front Stage – Back StageFront Stage – Back Stage

Performer vs audiencePerformer vs audience

Goffman’s ApproachGoffman’s Approach

Situational manipulationSituational manipulation

– Working ConsensusWorking Consensus

– Self DisclosureSelf Disclosure

– Ingratiation and AltercastingIngratiation and Altercasting