Final answer:
Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory focusing on the importance of symbols and language in human interaction and society. It asserts that individuals create cultural meanings through their interactions and interpret symbols within specific contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theoretical framework in sociology that emphasizes the role of symbols and language as core elements of all human interaction. According to George Herbert Mead and his student, Herbert Blumer, there are several basic premises of this theory:
- Humans interact with things based on meanings ascribed to those things.
- The ascribed meaning of things comes from our interactions with others and society.
- The meanings of things are interpreted by an individual when dealing with things in specific circumstances.
These principles illustrate how individuals actively shape the social world, rather than being passively shaped by it. Symbolic interactionists view culture as a dynamic and fluid aspect of social life that is continually being created and modified through individual interactions. Each object and action has a symbolic meaning that people communicate and interpret through interactions, which in turn shapes cultural norms and societal structures.