Symbolic Interactionism the Objective of This Study Essay

Symbolic Interactionism

The objective of this study is to contrast and compare the work of Simmel and Mead on Symbolic Interactionism. Toward this end, a review of literature in this area of inquiry will be conducted.

Symbolic interactionism is a primary sociological perspective that George Herbert Mead advanced through bringing "rigorous substance to this emergent micro-level analysis." (Bloch, nd) From the view of symbolic interactionism, "society is the sum total of the countless daily interactions that people engage in." (Bloch, nd) Symbols are reported to be differentiated from signs "in that a sign is something that stands for itself." (Bloch, nd)

The Approach of Mead

The approach of Mead to symbolic interactionism is such that was developed through "synthesis of other schools of thought" including pragmatism which view the social world as a growing and developing creation that in order to be understood must be observed both systematically and scientifically. From this view, "truth and reality are not frozen abstractions but actively created in the social world." (Bloch, nd)

Another primary influence on Mead was behaviorism or the study of behavior that is observable and that views the manner in which "people and animals respond to stimuli." (Bloch, nd) Mead is reported to have "embraced a contrasting approach: philosophical realism, in which the larger social order very much shapes and controls one's perceptions and actions." (Bloch, nd) Mead provides a theory about the process of the individual becoming a social being, or that of socialization defined as "the way in which socially formed norms, beliefs and values come to exist within the individual to the degree that these things appear natural." (Allan, 2004) Mead is reported to provide the "foundation for the sociological understanding of the self…" (Allan, 2004)

III. Mead vs. Simmel

Mead is focused on the social basis of "meaning, self and action" and the question of "where is meaning and how is it created." (Allan, 2004) The keys to knowing according to Mead include those of "pragmatism, action, meaning, social objects, interaction, mind, self, generalized other, and institutions." (Allan, 2004) Simmel held that key to everything is that of 'interaction' reported to arise "on the basis of certain drives or for the sake of certain purposes." (Allan, 2004) According to Simmel "any social phenomenon is composed to two elements which in reality are inseparable and those two are:

(1) content: the interest, purpose, or motive of the phenomenon or interaction

2) Form: the mode of interaction among individuals through/in the shape of which the specific content achieves social reality. (Allan, 2004)

Furthermore, the existence of society requires a reciprocal interaction among its individual elements, mere spatial or temporal aggregation of parts is not sufficient. (Allan, 2004)

Simmel holds that sociology's task is

" is to analytically separate these forms of interaction or socialization from their contents and to bring these together under a consistent scientific viewpoint. Form/content analysis rests upon two principles: 1) the same form of socialization is observed in dissimilar contents and in relation to differing purposes; and 2) content is expressed through a variety of different forms of socialization as its medium. (Allan, 2004)

Simmel was more interested in the manners in which individuals interact with one another also referred to as the 'micro' aspects of society. Simmel examined dyads, or groups of two or more people and triads, or groups of three. Farganis (2000) reports that the attempt of Simmel is such that "attempts to capture the complexity and the ambiguity of social life by viewing it dialectically. Although individuals are free and creative spirits and not the mere objects of social determination, they are nevertheless part of the socialization process and play a role in its continuation." (Farganis, 2000)

Simmel's inquiries are reported to have begun "from the bottom up, observing the smallest of social interactions and attempting to see how larger-scale institutions emerged from them." (Farganis, 2000) This resulted in Simmel noting phenomena missed by other theorists. The example stated is as follows:

"In doing so he often noticed phenomena that other theorists missed. For example, Simmel observed that the number.....