Final answer:
The symbolic interactionalist paradigm is a micro-level approach that studies how individuals create and maintain social reality through the interpretation and communication of symbols in daily interactions. It views culture as fluid, with meanings negotiated and changing over time and across contexts. Labeling Theory within this paradigm indicates that deviance is determined by societal reactions rather than the behaviors themselves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The approach in the symbolic interactionalist paradigm is concerned with understanding society through the everyday interactions and communications among individuals. This perspective works at a micro level, focusing on how individuals use symbols like language, gestures, and other cultural signs to create and maintain social reality. Through face-to-face interactions and the interpretation of each other's actions, individuals negotiate the meanings of symbols, which can vary widely across different contexts and cultures. This approach is highly dynamic, considering culture as fluid and continuously constructed through these social interactions.
Labeling Theory, a concept within this paradigm, suggests that deviance is not inherent to an act but is rather the result of society's reaction to that act. Deviance, therefore, is socially constructed as people label behaviors and individuals as deviant. Symbolic interactionists study the ever-changing nature of symbols, the communication of meanings, and the social construction of reality on a day-to-day basis.
The symbolic interactionalist perspective also notes that the meanings we associate with symbols are not universal. Our interpretations can drastically change the nature of our interactions, as seen in the variance in meaning between different cultures for the same gestures or words. Furthermore, interactions can also be influenced by societal norms about gender, as seen in differing approaches to communication with male and female loan officers.