Symbolic Interaction - Essay Example

Symbolic Interaction It is essential that symbolic interactionists utilize participant observation in their researches because how else can they see the response of people on things, such as objects or events, if not through observing how they react to those things. Since the theory of symbolic interaction focuses its attention on the way people interact through symbols like words and gestures, it is imperative that the research to be done should entail the observation of the participant. If the researcher wants to see the development of the meaning of things through the interaction of individuals, there is a need to be “in the group” to see through the process.

The specific events where the meanings are applied could only be clearly visualized by the researcher by immersing himself in the situation. It would be extremely difficult to determine the meaning of things to people and their interpretation of it if the symbolic interactionist has not observed how the meaning came about. The researcher would have a better view of the person’s application of the meaning if he sees the circumstance where it is applied. 2. The classes that I like are Speech, and Geography.

Using the “Looking Glass Theory of Cooley, I can say that one reason that I like Speech is because when I was young, my parents and some of my relatives often told me that I can be a very good speaker. They viewed me as someone who is very confident when speaking in front of a lot of people. Even during my elementary and high school days, I was often chosen by my teacher to represent the class in declamation contests because of how well I am able to express myself. This perception of other people towards me during my younger days somehow became instilled in me.

I came to believe that I have a talent in speaking in front of a crowd and that I can express myself well verbally. I also like Geography class. I think I developed this liking for Geography because as a little child I remember my parents giving me a globe telling me how wonderful it would be if I could be a Christopher Columbus when I grow up. They often gifted me with puzzles which when formed shows different maps of various continents. I think I was “brainwashed” into thinking that I could be a good geographer.

I don't like Psychology and Math. Using Cooley’s “Looking Glass Theory”, I think this is because my parents and most of my teachers told me before that Math is not exactly my forte. I always have low grades in Math that is why they came to that conclusion. Those perceptions affected me because I somehow lost interest in the subject. The same is true with Psychology. In my childhood days, my parents and some relatives told me that I cannot be a doctor because I do not have any interest in the sciences.

I learned to believe that myself. Anything that deals with the body, health or the mind does not interest me. In short, I think that the opinions of people who are significant to me, especially my family has shaped my likes and dislikes of some subjects in school. Had they not “prejudged” my interests, I could have developed my interests which are truly my own and not those dictated upon me, maybe subconsciously. 3. In Chambliss’s study of the Saints and Roughnecks, he clearly depicts the relationship between the “act” and the “reaction”.

A specific example is when the Saints were caught taking a lantern from a construction site or running a stop sign, the “act” or objective reality is that it is something wrong and illegal. However, the “reaction” or subjective reality of the police is that the Saints were “good boys out for a lark”. In other words, since the Saints were perceived by the police and the community as good boys, even if their “act” is wrong, the “reaction” is still not as bad as compared if the “act” was done by the Roughnecks.

On the contrary, if one of the Roughnecks were seen drinking (the act), the perception of community members is that he is “drunk” (the reaction) already. The act of drinking itself is not bad but because of the negative image of the Roughnecks, it seems that their actions are always viewed as something wrong.