Arwa AbulabanCOM 5100First Draft Symbolic Interactionism by George Herbert MeadDr. Page24 March 2014Symbolic interactionismIntroduction:Symbolic interactionism is a significant sociological perception in many areas of the discipline. It is especially important in microsociology and social psychology. Symbolic interactionism derives from American pragmatism and in particular the work of George Herbert Mead (1934), who argued that people's selves are social products, but that these selves are also intentional and creative. Herbert Blumer, Mead's student and interpreter, coined the term "symbolic interactionism" and proposed an influential synthesis of the perspective: people act toward things based on the meaning those things have for them; and these meanings are derived from social interaction and modified through interpretation. Sociologists working in this tradition have studied a wide range of topics using a variety of research methods. However, most interactionist research uses qualitative research methods, such as participant observation, to study aspects of (1 social interaction and/or (2) individuals' self. For example, “People are often motivated to purchase a good or service on the market". (p.1) HistorySymbolic interactionism originated with two key theorists, George Herbert Mead, and Charles George Herbert Mead was a proponent of this theory and assumed that the true test of any theory was that "it was useful for solving complex social problems" (Griffin 59 Mead's influence on symbolic interactionism was said to be so powerful that other sociologists considered it... middle). of paper..."identifiable self, built through past interactions and, as we talk, we adapt to the topic we are discussing and the people we are talking to, and we are changed by what happens to us as we communicate” (30). In (Belmont: Wadsworth, 2011), Ronald Adler and Russ Proctor discussed self-perception and perspective taking based on Mead's theory. Conclusion We may be a little confused about how the concepts of symbolic interactionism work in our lives, but it might be helpful to know how to deal with it and learn more about how this meaning puts ourselves under the microscope. The bottom line is that symbolic interactionism can pose a real challenge to some parts of our lives about what it means to say that meaning is not intrinsic but socially constructed. It is interesting to know how an arbitrary symbol can take on great meaning based on a socially ascribed meaning.