The strong human connections that individuals are able to create within life are ultimately inexplicable and have become necessary to be able to truly survive. Human interaction and communication are the basis of these connections and are constantly overlooked within society. The intricate patterns and details that determine the behavior of an individual and how they interact can be identified by looking at the symbols that influence their lives, such as words or gestures. Symbolic Interactionism, a micro sociological perspective that was heavily influenced by Erving Goffman, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead, is a concept that analyzes society through the personal meanings that people place upon actions, objects, and daily occasions (Appelrouth & Edles 2008).
…show more content…
The concepts of the three sociologists play a major role in understanding the idea and importance of this theory. Goffman’s notion of Dramaturgy and how individuals create actions that take place in both back and front stages plays an important role in how individuals act based upon the characteristics that they feel would be most important to those with whom they are interacting. Cooley’s focus on the looking glass-self describes how individuals interpret other’s reactions of them and develop a self-concept based upon how they feel other people view them. Mead’s perception of “I” and “Me” aspects of self-awareness that are created with the looking glass self, show how individuals act according to how they believe others would expect of them (Appelrouth & Edles 2008). All of these characteristics of Symbolic Interactionism play into how people are able to gain a sense of who they are as an
The concepts of the three sociologists play a major role in understanding the idea and importance of this theory. Goffman’s notion of Dramaturgy and how individuals create actions that take place in both back and front stages plays an important role in how individuals act based upon the characteristics that they feel would be most important to those with whom they are interacting. Cooley’s focus on the looking glass-self describes how individuals interpret other’s reactions of them and develop a self-concept based upon how they feel other people view them. Mead’s perception of “I” and “Me” aspects of self-awareness that are created with the looking glass self, show how individuals act according to how they believe others would expect of them (Appelrouth & Edles 2008). All of these characteristics of Symbolic Interactionism play into how people are able to gain a sense of who they are as an