preview

Symbolic Interaction: Integrated Health And Holistic Healing

Decent Essays
Open Document
Symbolic Interaction I found Symbolic Interaction to be the most compelling theory outlined in the first chapter. The idea that our micro-level interactions relate to how our society works rather than the larger picture items was very intriguing. Symbolic Interaction is the theory that takes social interactions and symbols and says that we create the society based on these actions. I found it to be most compelling because it relates to my field of study and the symbolic and shared meanings created. I especially like this theory because it does relate to my degree study of Integrated Health and Holistic Healing. It can be related to it in numerous ways as the field of IHH seeks to understand and heal the whole person and the person is the…show more content…
These symbols, according to our book, “have different meanings for different individuals” (Benokraitis 18). I think that is an important part of understanding this theory and our society. We act differently than others because these things have different meanings than another individual. For example, using the gesture “thumbs up” can have different meanings. In the U.S. thumbs up is a very common and acceptable gesture meaning you agree or good job but for some in other countries it can be an offensive gesture meaning “sit on this” or “up yours”. This creates the different aspects of the society by the meanings being different. In our book it states that “we typically learn our definitions of a situation through interaction with significant others” (Benokraitis 18). Based on this theory, these relationships are essential in our ability to define these symbols and have the knowledge of what they mean within our society in order for us to know how to act appropriately.
Symbolic Interaction is a very compelling and complex theory that draws intrigue from many different aspects of it. I feel as though it is a very relatable theory because of my degree of study in the field of IHH as well as the symbols and shared meanings that we create for our societies. Those symbols can be different across societies and it is important for us to look at the relationships between each other to define them. While there is criticism to the ideas behind Symbolic Interaction, the basis of treating the person or people as the basis is one of the things that make it most
Get Access
Related
Get Access