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Interactionism aka Interprevitism
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Structuralism and Interactionism
• The sociological theories that emerged in the
19th and 20th centuries fall into two categories:
1. Structural theories e.g. Functionalism and
Marxism, and
2. Interactionism - including social action
theory, symbolic interactionism and
phenomenology
Structure and Action
STRUCTURAL THEORIES – macro-theories such as functionalism and
Marxism – complete theories of society which see ‘society’ first and
the individual second
SOCIAL ACTION THEORIES - micro-theories which start at the
individual first and ‘build up’ theories to explain social phenomena
using ideas such as labelling, self fulfilling prophecy, self concept
Example – a Marxist will explain working class underachievement in
schools with reference to structural issues such as class and
material deprivation, whereas an interactionist might explain the
same phenomenon by examining the interactions between teachers
and pupils
Many sociologists will use elements of both to explain social
phenomenon
Interactionism – key general ideas
• Interactionists stress the important of ‘meanings’
• ‘meanings’ are the ways in which people interpret the
behaviours of others
• ‘meanings’ develop and are negotiated during interactions
with others as a people get a feeling for the intentions of
others
• All humans develop a ‘self concept’ – an image of themselves
through their interactions with others
• ‘Self concepts’ are very susceptible to labels from others
• Ones self concept very often becomes very similar to how
others view you – self fulfilling prophecy
3 broad strands
• Interactionism is a broad description of sociological
approaches which emphasise the importance of micro
sociology
• There are 3 broad types
1. Social action Theory – ‘moderate’ – both micro and macro
are important in understanding society . E.g. Weber
2. Symbolic Interactionism – micro is much more important
than macro e.g. Blumer and Mead
3. Phenomenology/Ethnomethodology – e.g. Atkinson – only
the micro is important – macro is an illusion
Social Action Theory
Starts from the premise that if you really want to understand
people and society you start with the individuals themselves
and work up – seeks to establish meanings through studying
interactions.
Weber – ‘sociology is the science which attempts the
interpretive understanding of social action to arrive at causal
explanations’
Looks for ‘verstehen’ or deep understanding of motives and
therefore favours qualitative methods.
Sociologists must try and see the world ‘through the eyes’ of
social actors themselves
Symbolic Interactionism
A special sort of social action theory associated with the
University of Chicago and academics such as Mead and
Blumer.
SI emphasises than individuals are active rather than passive
receptors of culture, socialisation or capitalism. People
CHOOSE their actions and their reactions.
A person’s identity and self concept is created by their
interactions with others
SI invented ‘labelling theory’ which has been very important in
modern sociological research
3 main elements of SI
The symbol – the self – the interaction
The Symbol
• People and objects are classified through
interactions into symbols and given a name
‘tree’ ‘car’ ‘terrorist’ ‘hero’ ‘chair’ ‘villain’ ‘gay’
‘deviant’ etc.
• The names given to symbols are not neutral –
they imply a variety of meanings and
therefore responses from different people
The Self
• People can respond to symbols and others
only when they have a clear sense of self i.e.
who they are and where they fit in the
scheme of things – this is learnt in childhood
through play
• One’s self concept is very susceptible to the
opinions of others
The Interaction
• Is where symbols and different ‘selfs’ come
together in interactions
• It is through interaction that meaning is
created.
• People aware of themselves and others and
negotiate meanings, norms and values which
are temporary and subject to renegotiation
and change
Phenomenology
•
•
•
•
Reality ONLY exists in meanings negotiated through interactions
Macro sociological theory is an illusion
The job of the sociologist is to discover meanings and nothing more
Phenomenology rejects completely ‘scientific’ sociology and ‘objectivity’,
‘social facts’ and ‘structures’
• There are no causes to be uncovered only meanings to be understood
• E.G. Atkinson ‘Discovering Suicide’ – research involved the study of how
coroners categorised deaths as suicide i.e. What ‘meanings’ were used to
classify suicide. No attempt to discuss causes, or analyse rates or compare
patterns
Contribution to Understanding of
Society
• Labelling in education – Becker, Keddie, Ball,
Rosenthal and Jacobson – as an explanation of
underachievement (Revision Guide page 56)
• Labelling in health – as an explanation of insanity
(Revision Guide page 73 Szasz, Goffman,)
• RD Laing’s critique of the nuclear family – radical
psychiatry
http://www.educationforum.co.uk/sociology_2/ps.ht
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• Crime and Deviance and labelling – Howard Becker