Symbolic Interactionism

Abstract Symbolic interactionism is a perspective employed, explicitly and implicitly, by communication scholars and others within the social sciences and humanities. The central concepts of the approach derive from the work of George Herbert Mead and his student, Herbert Blumer. In addition, its creation owes much to the philosophers and sociologists at the University of Chicago. This entry presents the development of symbolic interactionism, the role of the two key figures in its development (George Herbert Mead and Herbert Blumer), its major premises concerning the role of interaction in creating meaning and the understanding of self and of society, and its implication for theory and methods. Its status as a theory is also discussed.