Symbolic interactionism

[basophilic]

A sociologist using the symbolic interactionism approach would most likely ask which question?
A. Did the boycott have lasting effects on the consumption and distribution of goods and services in India?
B. How did the signing of the Magna Carta change the role of the nobility in 13th century England?
C. How did the Stonewall Riots change the way the US viewed homosexuality?
D. Would the Indian independence movement be the same if Gandhi had had a different upbringing?
Why is the answer C?I got B because I thought symbolic interactionism had to do with assigning ideas to the objects in our vicinity and changing those ideas based on our interactions with others.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[amy_k]

the key difference between b and c is that symbolic interactionism results in shaping of views and beliefs about others in society based on objects, events and behaviors which are given subjective meaning. i.e. the stonewall riot event was subjectively interpretted by the US society resulting in a change in the beliefs of the society about homosexuality. Whereas B is asking how did the Magna Carta event change the (actual) role (rather than society's beliefs about) nobility in 13th century england.

 

[basophilic]

If the riot was interpreted by the US society, then wouldn't that make it social constructivism since it's on a macrosociological scale? That would be symbolic interactionism if an American person interpreted it like in the answer choice, no?

 

[amy_k]

yes the overall process could be viewed as constructivism, but the communication between the rioters and the members of the general public through the riots is symbolic interactionism. You can look at this statement in c either on the micro scale or macro scale perhaps, though it does seem to suggest society as a whole, i agree.

 

[basophilic]

yes the overall process could be viewed as constructivism, but the communication between the rioters and the members of the general public through the riots is symbolic interactionism. You can look at this statement in c either on the micro scale or macro scale perhaps, though it does seem to suggest society as a whole, i agree.

Interactionism is exclusively microsociological and constructionism is exclusively macro, no? That means you can't look at C in an either...or way, shouldn't it?

 

[ElectricNoogie]

Interactionism is exclusively microsociological and constructionism is exclusively macro, no? That means you can't look at C in an either...or way, shouldn't it?

While I have not read that one is micro only and one is macro only (though I have read that SI is very important to micro), one can still eliminate choice B. If symbolic interaction theory is used to analyze society through the " subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors", then we need to focus on the outcome SI can cause. According to SI, people behave based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true. Thus, a person's reality is thought to be socially constructed through human interpretation/social interactions.

Choice B is simply too reality based, if that makes sense. It proposes a change in the governmental role of some group as a result of a document. Where is the human interpretation? Where is the subjective/objective reality? Perhaps if B had mentioned that the MC changed how the working class viewed the Aristocracy or caused them to question the role of the aristocracy, then it would be closer to SI, but it doesn't. Only C captures the scope of SI. The phrase "US views" can be vague about individual vs. societal views, but B still fails to capture the gist of SI theory while C comes the closest. Hope this helps!

Good luck!

 

[balopathic45]

look for the answer choice that is "symbolic"
the implications and views of homosexuality have different meanings across culture

 

[amy_k]

i dont agree that it is either micro or macro... doesn't constructivism result from a collective set of individual interactions, in this case how individual members of the u.s. society interpreted the riot events symbolically, resulting in a macro change in the beliefs of the society as a majority?

 

[amy_k]

i agree with the above comments in terms of elimination of the other answer choices to leave c as the "best" answer. whether or not that statement perfectly encompasses symbolic interactionism is not what is in question, but instead which is the best answer as per the answer key in the material provided. in the great majority of threads regarding specific questions on this site, "why this is the best answer among the choices given" is the focus, not trying to prove the question writers wrong all the time.