Symbolic Interactionism and Bourdieu's Theory - Essay Example

Symbolic Interactionism and Bourdieus theory Symbolic interactionism has come to signify the manner through which reality is seen as the manner that individuals interact with others, that not only social, but also well developed. Most of those people who subscribe to interactionism believe that the physical reality of matter is real because the social definitions of this reality have been established in society. There is never a direct response to this reality by individuals in society and instead, this is done indirectly through a social understanding of the reality that they perceive. The indirectness of individuals’ perception of reality creates a situation where they consider it through a type of filter, which makes realities more understandable for them. As a result, the perception of reality by individuals comes about as objects that can be split into three parts namely physical, social and abstract objects. When one considers the study, one will find that African American women are more comfortable with their body weights than women from other races and this is especially true when one comes to consider that they value their curves more than their overall weights. In studies based on Mexican and African American women, one will conclude that they have come to accept their weight as part of their lives so that they can gain the approval of their societies. Moreover, they do it to gain acceptance in groups that are deemed to be the most popular in their communities, that is, in the Mexican case, those who are able to take good care of their families without caring about the weight that they gain in the process. This can be related to the interactionist sociological perspectives where individuals come to accept the norms of their societies even though they may not be comfortable with them, so that they can continue to function in a harmonious way. According to symbolic interactionism, as espoused by Blumer, both societies and individuals are created through social interaction and it is because of this that they cannot exist without each other. The behavior of individuals is not shaped through the environment, but is rather shaped through meanings that are socially understood and reflective in such a manner that they can be accepted through both internal and external incentives. This is seen in the case of the African American women who despite being slightly above their recommended weight are comfortable with their weight because it is accepted in their society. They do not seem to find it necessary to lose their weight because to do so would mean losing their curves, which are valued more than their weight. Bourdieu’s theory seems to emphasize the centrality of logic of practice and this is done in such a manner that it concentrates on the body and practices that take place in a social world. He stresses the importance of the mechanisms of social dominion and duplication and these are based on practices that ensure the competence of individuals in the social world. He further argues that the actions of individuals are not necessarily based on rational thought where they carefully calculate the consequences of every action that they take. Instead, he states that individuals make choices based on practical logic as well as the dispositions of their bodies. Bourdieu’s theory is essentially based on an analysis of the means through which social hierarchies are reproduced and it is highly critical of Marxist theories for only concentrating on economic factors of society. Bourdieu argues that individuals themselves act in a manner that has direct influence over their societies rather than economic factors. Furthermore, his theory dwells on the belief that social actors play an active part in the imposition and engagement of in the development of their cultures. These are normally accompanied by symbolic systems in the society, which help in ensuring that there is a reproduction of the social structures that bring about domination within the society. When Bordieu’s speaks of symbolic violence, he believes that it is the means through which societies have developed mechanisms that can be used to make the arbitrariness of social order to look more natural so that it cannot be challenged by members of the society. This is especially the case with the overweight Mexican women who despite their having a risk of developing health problems have instead chosen to accept themselves as they are. They feel that since they are mothers, they are required to ensure that they put their families first and this is done in a manner that makes them more or less socially acceptable. For Bourdieu, the social world has come to be divided into fields and these are formed in such a way that they enable the differentiation of social activities. These fields lead to the creation diverse and autonomous social rooms in which there are contesting centres around certain types of capital (Steinmetz, 2011). They are centred on a belief in a hierarchical structure whereby the diminuendos of fields arises out of the fight of social players trying to conquer the prevailing positions within it. Despite the fact that like Marx, Bourdieu is also a proponent of some elements of the conflict theory, he goes beyond the economic struggles that take place in society and goes directly for the social struggle between the different classes in society. Bourdieu’s theory is a view of society, which is based on the assumption that societies are based on hierarchies, and that it is those at the top who wield more power than those in lower ranks. According to Bourdieu’s theory, there is constant conflict between the classes as each of them attempts to gain some of the power or privileges that are enjoyed by those of a higher rank. Despite his belief in the conflict theory, Bourdieu believes that Marx is wrong in pursuing its economic aspects, challenging the latter’s economic theory by stating that it is not a way of life that is feasible. He makes potent arguments against it and most of the latter arguments are based on the fact that it is unsustainable and that it does not cover the manner through which society is formulated in structures where there is constant conflict between the various classes within it. The hierarchies that exist in society might explain why Mexican women who are also mothers seem resigned to concentrating all of their efforts in ensuring the comfort of their children rather than in creating time, which they can dedicate to exercises to keep from becoming overweight. In conclusion symbolic interactionism and Bourdieu’s theory seem to quite different from one another because while the former is based on the social interactions where meanings that are developed in societies over time, the latter concentrates on showing that it is individuals who, through their instinctive nature, are directly involved in making their own decisions. The case study of African American and Mexican women, who are believed to have a weight problem, shows that their societies have extremely different views concerning weight and this is based on their different responses towards the matter. In line with interactionism, African American women are seen to be more accepting of the current status of their weight than their Mexican counterparts, who in line with Bourdieu’s theory, accept their weight as it is only because of the social obligations that they have towards their homes and children. If the latter were to choose independently of social expectations, they would prefer to lose the weight they have accumulated through constant exercise to ensure that they retained a slim figure. Therefore, Bourdieu’s theory is based more on individuals making choice because of social expectations while symbolic interactionism is based on individuals accepting social norms because of social interactions. Reference Steinmetz, G. (2011). Bourdieu, Historicity, and Historical Sociology. Cultural Sociology, 11, 45–61 Read More