George Herbert Mead's Symbolic Interactionism: Meaning, Language, and Thought, Slides of Theories of Communication

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George Herbert Mead’s

“Symbolic Interactionism”

Chris Walden

Introduction

• George Herbert Mead was born in South Hadley, Massachusetts in February of
• In 1894 , Mead moved from The University of Michigan to Chicago, Illinois, where he would later become the center of the sociological department at The University of Chicago.

Introduction Cont’d

• This theory is the process of interaction in the formation of meanings for individuals.
• In simple form, people act based on symbolic meanings they find within a given situation.
• The goals of our interactions are to create a shared meaning.

• Herbert Blumer came up with three basic principles for his theory.
• Meaning, Language, and Thought.
• These three principles lead to conclusions about the creation of a persons self and socialization into a larger community.

Meaning Cont’d

• Meaning is based on human interaction and how we act towards other people.
• We as humans, base things upon the meanings that they have been given.
• An example would be me saying, “Hey you look great, have you lost a lot of weight?” This statement could be taken a lot of different ways. Perhaps the person that I said this to takes it in the way of a compliment, (Which is what I was giving them) or a negative remark. The meaning that we assign to the statement is how we react to people and what they say.

Meaning Cont’d

• This theory tells us that its how people interpret messages and statements.
• Each one of us has a different meaning assigned to different things.
• To us humans the word “grass” is something that can be defined as green, or something needed to be cut. To animals, the word “grass” could mean shelter or food.
• Now in the case of symbols, meanings also depend on the number of consensual responses of those who use it. If someone uses a particular word such as hey, to those that use it a lot, it means hello. Now for those people that are ambiguous to it, it could mean a totally different thing to them.

Language

• In simple terms, this principle says that when we talk to each other, symbolic interaction means that humans identify meaning, or naming, and then they develop discourse, which is communication orally

3 rd^ Principle

• Thought: “Interpretation of symbols”
• Thought is based on language. While in a conversation, your mind is imagining or thinking about the different points of view or meanings to what the other person is saying to you.
• What this means is that once your hear someone say something, you automatically start thinking about what you are going to say next.

Conclusion

• George Herbert Mead was a professor whose teachings were transformed into a theory that is well known and taught throughout the world.
• Symbolic Interactionism has only one variable in it. The individual has its own set of meanings for things and people.
• A problem with this theory is that it does not state whether or not an individual wants to win and get their own way or not. Sometimes we think that people can also construct a sample and ask someone if they should have a certain meaning for this and a meaning for that.

• This theory doesn’t tell you if you think this way because a person told you to or if you think a certain way because you feel that you need to.
• George Herbert Mead died in 1931. Although he never got around to publishing his own teachings, he still is considered to be one of the top sociological theorists that have ever walked this earth.

Symbolic Interactionism

• Language
  • Dealing with Meaning
• Thought
  • Where interpretation is modified.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Both Language and Thought arise out of people socializing with one another (Symbolic Interactionism).
• Much of the time Language and Thought go hand in hand.
• I like to teach with examples.

Language

• Language is the source of meaning.
  • Everything in life has a different meaning.
• All objects, people, and abstract ideas have been assigned certain names.
• Meaning has never been inherent.

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