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Symbolic interactionism is a sociological perspective that is influential in many areas of the sociological discipline. It is particularly important in microsociology and social psychology. Symbolic interactionism is derived from American pragmatism and particularly from the work of George Herbert Mead. Herbert Blumer, a student and interpreter of Mead, coined the term "symbolic interactionism" and put forward an influential summary of the perspective: people act toward things based on the meaning those things have for them, and these meanings are derived from social interaction and modified through interpretation.〔https://sites.google.com/site/sssinteraction/〕 Sociologists working in this tradition have researched a wide range of topics using a variety of research methods. However, the majority of interactionist research uses qualitative research methods, like participant observation, to study aspects of (1) social interaction and/or (2) individuals' selves. ==History== Originated with two key theorists, George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley. Mead argued that people's selves are social products, but that these selves are also purposive and creative (needs citation), and believed that the true test of any theory was that "It was useful in solving complex social problems" (Griffin 59). Mead’s influence on symbolic interactionism was said to be so powerful that other sociologists regard him as the one “true founder” of the symbolic interactionism tradition. Although Mead taught in a philosophy department, he is best known by sociologists as the teacher who trained a generation of the best minds in their field. Strangely, he never set forth his wide-ranging ideas in a book or systematic treatise. After his death in 1931, his students pulled together class notes and conversations with their mentor and published ''Mind, Self and Society'' in his name. (Griffin 59). 'It is a common misconception that John Dewey was the leader of this sociological theory; however, according to ''The Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism,'' Mead was undoubtedly the individual who “transformed the inner structure of the theory, moving it to a higher level of theoretical complexity.” (Herman-Kinney Reynolds 67).〔Herman-Kinney Nancy J., Reynolds, Larry T. (2003). ''Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism''. New York: AltaMira.〕 Herbert Blumer was a social constructionist, and was influenced by Dewey; as such, this theory is very phenomenologically based. He believed that the "Most human and humanizing activity that people engage in is talking to each other" (Griffin 60).〔Griffin, Emory A. (2006). ''A First Look at Communication Theory''. Boston: McGraw-Hill.〕 Two other theorists who have influenced Symbolic interaction theory are Yrjö Engeström and David Middleton. Engeström and Middleton explained the usefulness of symbolic interactionism in the communication field in a variety of work settings, including "courts of law, health care, computer software design, scientific laboratory, telephone sales, control, repair, and maintenance of advance manufacturing systems."〔Engestrom, Yrjo, and David Middleton. "Cognition and Communication at Work."〕 Other scholars credited for their contribution to the theory are Thomas, Park, James, Horton, Cooley, Znaniecki, Baldwin, Redfield, and Wirth.〔Blumer, H. (1969) ''Symbolic Interactionism; Perspective and Method''. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Symbolic interactionism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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