S YMBOLIC I NTERACTIONISM Andrea, Kaileigh, Shairina, Mikey, Christy

W HAT IS SYMBOLIC I NTERACTIONISM ? Symbolic Interactionism is a psychological theory that attempts to explain how individuals choose how they will act based on their perceptions of themselves and others. It is a sociological discipline “Giving meaning to actions.”

C ONCEPTS There are three basic concepts of social interactionism Herbert Blumer’s three basic premises of the three principles: 1. “Human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings they ascribe to those things.” 2. “The meaning of such things is derived from, or arise out of, the social interaction that one has with others and the society.” 3. “These meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretive process used by the person in dealing with the things he/she encounters.”

M EN ARE FROM MARS, W OMEN ARE FROM V ENUS John gray (1992) Symbolic Interactionism explains that because men and women might interpret situations differently and use different language to express their ideas, misunderstandings can result. By learning what the other sex means by their behaviour men and women could improve their relationships.