“It is the theory that analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. Subjective meanings are given primacy because it is believed that people behave based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true (Crossman).” For example, the knockout game that was on the news a few years ago, when teenagers attack innocent by standers for the sake of fame on social media. According to some reports “A black teenager loitering around the entrance of a store in Rochester, New York, waited with glee for a small, older white woman to come out so he could hit her. And that’s exactly what he did. With a swinging fist to her head. His friend video taped the whole event and then posted it on Facebook (Ryan).” This is a good example of symbolic interaction since the young assailant objectively knows what he is doing is wrong and is a crime, yet still do it anyway thinking its …show more content…
“ It interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society. Society is more than the sum of its parts; rather, each part of society is functional for the stability of the whole society (Crossman).” For example, “In Shawshank Prison, the system created by the institution 's complex series of norms, values, and sanctions maintained an unjust but stable environment. In this way, the prison is a functional environment. When Andy DuFresne defied these norms, the prison environment became unbalanced (Verner-Crist).” Today, its still happening in prisons all across the country, since the system is flawed. There are more repeat offenders going back to prison, because instead of rehabilitation, they get caught up in the dysfunction of functionalism behind