Sociology is among the most interesting and appealing scientific disciplines in the multitude of humanities. It is because “sociology is the systematic and scientific study of society and social interaction” (Conerly et al., 2022, para. 1). These are two phenomena in which every individual in the world is involved. The study is conducted by applying numerous sociological theories that are multilevel explanatory and predictive perspectives on social structures, their functioning, survival, and change. Symbolic interactionism is the one I want to discuss here.
Symbolic interactionism became interesting to me in the first place because of the adjective symbolic in the title of this theory. I immediately realized that since this theory is associated with symbols, it must be about thinking. My first thought was that it not only serves to explore and describe societal relations but also the reasoning and imagination processes that take place in the minds of members of society. According to Conerly et al. (2022), it focuses “on interactions between individuals,” so I was right (para. 3). This micro-theory has much more depth and complexity than the macro-ones to me.
Moreover, I quickly realized that symbolic interactionism intersects with other humanitarians and incorporates some of their concepts. As I see it, sociology alone is not enough to explain the symbols that people have in their minds and exchange with each other. The theoretical model and its supporters who aim to explore these must also know culture studies, philosophy, psychology, and even theology. Therefore, it is safe to say that symbolic interactionism “enriches students’ lives” better than other sociological movements (Conerly et al., 2022, para. 4). It is not only a segment of sociology to me but also an entry into other neighboring humanities.
Reference
Conerly, T. R., Holmes, K., & Tamang, A. L. (2022). Introduction to Sociology 3e: Section summary. OpenStax. Web.