Final answer:
George Herbert Mead is considered the founder of Symbolic Interactionism, though the term itself was coined by his student, Herbert Blumer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The founder of Symbolic Interactionism is George Herbert Mead, although he never published his work on it. His student, Herbert Blumer, actually coined the term 'symbolic interactionism' and elaborated on the core principles of the framework. Symbolic interactionism suggests that people interact with objects, people, and events based on meanings that they have learned through interactions with others and society. These meanings are then interpreted by individuals in specific contexts. For example, if someone loves books, a symbolic interactionist might suggest that this individual has learned to assign a positive meaning to books through various interactions within family, educational, or religious settings. While Mead is a central figure in the development of symbolic interactionism, it is also connected to the works of other scholars such as Max Weber.