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RONA'S STORY AND THE THEORY OF SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM
Nissan Naveh Beit Berl College and Kugel High School, Israel (Retired) 15.8.
Abstract This article presents a method for teaching the theory of symbolic interactionism in a high-school course - Introduction to Sociology. The role-playing game used as a method for teaching the theory is grounded on a philosophy of education whose principles call for meaningful and relevant learning, based on experiential activity and investigation of those experiences, as the preferred form of learning. The game was designed in Israel and is used there by high-school teachers of sociology; it is relevant for high-school students in other countries.
Why is it difficult to teach theories to high-school students?
Sociologists are helped by basic perspectives in order to cope with different dimensions of social explanations. Those basic perspectives are the fundamental approaches or sociological paradigms. The following approaches are widely accepted as being fundamental - the functionalist approach; the conflict approach; and the symbolic interactionism approach. Generally, an introductory course to sociology includes the study of these fundamental approaches.
Critics of "the great theories" (the fundamental approaches) in sociology argue that they are abstract to such an extent that they lose touch with reality, that is, with the phenomena to which they must be applied (Mills, 1970). Some of those critics maintain that the theories are not capable of providing explanations, that they are detached from reality, that they tend to create screening and categorizing systems that do not broaden our understanding, and preclude engaging in concrete observations. The inherent hazards of such "over-abstraction" can also be found in the field of teaching sociology in high- schools. In the field of education, though, with certain theories we can create "perspectives" that are helpful when examining phenomena. Theories generally address categorization and categorizing concepts, so they offer arrays of factors that can assist in explaining phenomena (Adar, 1973).
Education researchers and educators report particular difficulties in teaching theories. Because it is abstract, a theory often is hard to understand. Students may perceive it as not relevant, not concrete, and as being remote from their familiar reality. Teachers have to seek ways of overcoming the difficulties and transforming the study of theories into something relevant and meaningful for the students and their everyday lives.
How teachers can surmount the difficulty
Teachers apply a range of means for coping with these difficulties, and active learning is one of them. Holtzman (2005) provides an example of teaching abstract theories of social stratification (the functionalist theory, and the conflict theory) using active learning with the goal of demonstrating the theories' relevance to the students' lives. Another form of coping is by using collaborative learning (Rinehart, 1999). Airsman (2002) demonstrates the use of organizational case-studies in teaching the four great theories: functionalism; conflict; exchange; and symbolic interactionism. These diverse teaching-programs are aimed at generating motivation to learn the theories and creating an environment for meaningful, relevant learning that provides students with activities and experiences. In this article I present a teaching method based on active learning using role-playing.
The symbolic interactionism approach
Symbolic interactionism focuses on the face-to-face interaction - in the micro dimension - and views society as a cluster of everyday interactions. Part of this theory is based on the work of Max Weber, who underscores the need to understand social situations from the point of view of the people within them. Society takes shape as a shared reality that is structured in a series of interactions, through a process of explaining or interpreting them to those around us. This process of explanation, interpreting, and defining differs from person to person, and so symbolic interactionism considers society to be a system of subjective meanings and changing reactions. It perceives the social reality as the outcome of interpretations made by the individuals who form a society. Human behavior is the outcome of definitions of situations made by people who participate in them. People interpret the social situations that they encounter and act in accordance with their own interpretation. Defining situations is the way in which individuals interpret social reality subjectively, by means of the interpretations with which they endow symbols. When people interpret a social situation in an identical way, it is a shared definition of the
Rona's story
An issue from the students' school-life is chosen as the subject for the role-playing, such as an incident deriving from the teacher-student relationship, of a kind quite common in high schools. Case-study analysis - apart from its sociological value - also has inherent educational value.
Background story to the game "Rona's story"
Rona is a student in the 11th grade at Carmel Heights School. She's an average student – with average achievements, normative behavior, and is reasonably diligent in terms of studies.
It's Monday, and as usual there is a math class, taught by Amos. At the start of class, he goes over his explanations from the previous lesson on the subject, then tells the students that they will have ten minutes practice using worksheets that he has prepared. Amos hands out the worksheets and asks the students to work alone and fill out the sheets. The idea is that all of them can ensure that they fully understand the material and have a good command of it. He then walks along the rows, checking their work, guiding those students who need help, encouraging ones who find it hard, and answering questions.
When Amos reaches Rona's desk, he notices she hasn't started answering the questions. "What's up?" the teacher asks her. Rona doesn't answer, and Amos repeats his question "What's the matter, why aren't you working on the questions? I see you’re doodling on your worksheet. Are you an expert in modern art?" Rona waves her hands at him, and bursts out angrily "Just leave me alone, Amos, you’re just too much for me today." The class falls totally silent.... and Rona looks at Amos, to see how he's reacting. "Leave the class at once, and go to the staff room," Amos says in a loud, angry voice.
Rona walks out of the classroom and goes towards the staff room. What will happen now? she wonders, how will he respond? Rona is very anxious about the upcoming conversation. The bell rings at the end of class, and Amos goes to the staff room. "We'll talk in ten minutes time," he tells Rona, then enters the staff room. Sitting in his chair, Amos ponders how he should conduct the conversation with Rona.
The game process
The class is divided into two groups, according to the rows of desks. The teacher tells the students that they will be taking part in a role-playing game, explains what role-playing is, and emphasizes the importance of adhering to the rules of the game and the activity, according to the instructions they'll be given. Half of the students are assigned the roles of the teacher and the other half are assigned the student's role. The students get ready for the role-playing game by answering the questions on the sheet. All students receive the background story: "Rona's Story," as well as personal sheets on which they write their answers to the preparatory questions ahead of the role-playing game. The actors in the role of the teacher receive a specific preparatory sheet, and those playing students receive a different one.
Preparation sheet for role-playing Amos
What do you think is upsetting Rona? Could it be a health problem, or a family problem? Plan your conversation with Rona - what direction will you take in your conversation with her? Note at least three points. What will your objective be when you talk to Rona?
Preparation sheet for role-playing Rona
Why did you behave like you did? Was it because of an argument with a boyfriend, or problems at home? In your conversation with Amos, what would encourage you to cooperate with him? List three things that Amos can do that would make you cooperate with him – for instance, if he asks about your studies. In your conversation with Amos, what would prevent you from cooperating with him? List three things that the teacher can do that would prevent you from cooperating – for instance, if he uses threats.
After the students complete the preparatory stage, the teacher invites two volunteer students to present to the class a dramatized version of the conversation between "Amos" and "Rona." The volunteer actors give the teacher the sheets they filled out ahead of the
will interpret the word "question" differently: for example, what appears to one to be an investigation will seem to the other as a display of interest. The teacher can also bring into the conversation other students who haven't participated in the game and ask them what they think is written on "Rona"'s or "Amos"'s sheet, and to provide reasons for their reply.
The teacher now moves to an analysis of the role-play, using essential concepts in symbolic interactionism theory: significance, symbol, interpretation of symbols, interactions, negotiation, social structuring of reality, self-presentation, behind the scenes, role-playing, symbolic interaction, situation definition, and shared situation definition. An analysis performed with the help of these concepts facilitates both understanding of the theory and an explanation of phenomena in reality (Naveh, Elad & Ron, 2003).
Summary
"Rona's story" is an attempt to cope with teaching theory in a creative, experiential way, by drawing on contents from the learners' world (the school environment and the teacher- student relationship) in a manner that's relevant, concrete, and meaningful for the students.
We chose a role-playing game as a teaching method because it represents the central idea of the symbolic interactionism approach - "all the world's a stage and all the men and women are … players."
Besides role-playing's learning value, we also discern in it important educational values. Through acting, students foster the perspective of other viewpoints, tolerance to others, an understanding of the causes of conflicts and learn, among others, about ways of resolving them.
Bibliography
Adar, L. 1973. Social Studies Planning. Jerusalem: Hebrew University press. (in Hebrew)
Airsman, L.A. 2002. "Teaching sociological theories through organizational cases." Sociological Practice 4, 2.
Goffman E. 1959. The Presentation of Self in everyday Life. NY Garden City: Anchor Books.
Holtzman, M. 2005. "Teaching theory through active learning: the irrigation exercise." Teaching Sociology , 33, 2
Mills, C.W. 1970. The Sociological Imagination. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Naveh, N., Elad. R. and Ran, O. 2003. Sociology: Society's Circles – Culture. Even- Yehuda: Reches. (in Hebrew)
Rinehart, J.A. 1999. Turning theory into theorizing: collaborative learning in a sociological theory course". Teaching Sociology, 27, 3.
