Disciplines in the

Social Sciences
Symbolic Interactionism

Definition

 Symbolic interactionism is a major approach in sociology that centers

on social interactions in specific situations in society.
 It is considered a micro-level approach.
 John Macionis and Linda Gerber: Symbolic interactionism "sees society
as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals."

Herbert Blumer (1900-1987) and Symbolic Interactionism

 Coined the term Symbolic Interactionism in 1937.

 Sociologists using this approach accept that we live in a world full of
symbols.
 Symbols: Social objects used to represent meanings agreed upon by
people.
 Examples of symbols: Gestures, language, actions, logos,
religious icons (Charon 1995, 39).

Focus of Symbolic Interactionism

 Symbols and their meanings affect individual actions and

social interactions in everyday life.
 Through social interactions, people attach meanings to symbols and
everything around them.
 Macionis' View: Society is "nothing more than a shared reality that
people construct for themselves as they interact with one another."
 Society is created as people:
o Define their surroundings.
o Decide what they think of others.
o Shape their own identities.

Ongoing Change in Society

 Society and everything in it continues to undergo change.

 Symbolic interactionism states that we are in an ongoing process of
meaning-making.

Comparison with Structural Functionalism

 Structural functionalism: Individuals are part of a larger social

structure with set functions.
 Symbolic interactionism: Individuals actively construct or
reconstruct society.

Blumer’s Three Basic Premises

1. Human beings act toward things based on the meanings those

things have for them.
2. The meaning of things arises out of social interactions.
3. Meanings are handled and modified through an interpretative
process used by individuals.

 Interpretative Process: Key to symbolic interactionism, explaining

how meanings are created from specific situations.

Interpretive Understanding (Max Weber)

 Sociology should focus on how individuals make sense of their

actions and experiences.
 Sociology is a "science which attempts the interpretive
understanding of social action" to explain its causes and effects
(Wallace and Wolf, 1991: 238).

Psychoanalysis -
is an approach that subscribes that each of us has an unconscious part that
contain ideas, memories , desires, or thoughts that have been hidden or
repressed because they are psychologically dangerous or threatening to our
self-concept.

Psychoanalysis is a way of understanding the mind that says we all have hidden thoughts, feelings, and
memories. These are pushed out of our awareness because they might be too upsetting or
uncomfortable to face.

Unconscious Mind – defined as a repository of feelings and urges we have

no awareness of.

Self-Concept – how we know and see ourselves.

- it was developed in the early 1900s by Sigmund Freud

- focuses on how the unconscious part of our minds influences a

person’s idea of their self, their overall development of personality, or
their concept of self in general.

To further explain the notion of the unconscious, the conscious parts of our
mind has to be understood first.

Conscious Thoughts - composed of wishes, thoughts, and desires

that we – individuals – are aware of, or can recall, at any given
moment.

- helps us make sense of our everyday interactions and surroundings.

- HOWEVER, Freud sees these as merely a small part of total mental

activity.

EXAMPLE
Conscious thoughts are things you are aware of right now.
✅ I’m hungry, I should grab a snack.

Unconscious Thoughts – refer to wishes, thoughts, and desires that

we automatically repress and cannot voluntarily access because of
their disturbing or threatening content

Unconscious thoughts are hidden feelings or ideas that affect your

behavior without you realizing it.
✅ being afraid of commitment because of a childhood fear of being
abandoned, even if you don’t consciously think about it.

- While these ideas may be repressed or hidden away inside our minds,
Freud stated that the unconscious might influence an individual's
behavior without even realizing it.
- It is through the observation and confirmation of both unconscious
forces and what Freud called as unconscious motivation that the
exploration of the unconscious mind must take place.

- Unconscious motivation is the influence of repressed thoughts,

desires, or impulses on conscious thoughts and behavior.

- It can be said that what made Freud's psychoanalytic theory an

innovation of its time was not the theorizing alone but its prescribing
of solutions in order to understand the complexity of the unconscious
mind.

- Through continuous observations of his patients with hysteria and

neurosis, Freud proposed certain techniques to unlock the
unconscious mind.

- These techniques include:

- Free Association
- Dream interpretation
- Freudian slips

Free association - defined as the free-flowing, uncensored talking

that will provide clues to unconscious forces.

Dream interpretation - was also utilized because Freud believed

dreams are the purest forms of free association.

Freudian slips - unintentionally reveal unconscious thoughts or

desires.

All three techniques were critical in unmasking the unconscious mind.

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939):

A famous scientist whose legacy extends beyond psychology to other
disciplines.

Key Contributions:

- First psychologist to create a comprehensive description of

personality development.

- Known for early analyses of mental disorders and their treatments.

- Developed psychoanalytic theory, which influences personality
theories, personality development, and therapeutic methods.

- Introduced a treatment method where patients talk about their

experiences and dreams, which remains widely used.

Early Life and Career:

- Born in Freiberg, Moravia (now the Czech Republic) to a middle-class

Jewish family.

- Earned a medical degree and spent most of his life in Vienna.

- Started as a neurologist but shifted to a more financially stable career

at the Vienna General Hospital after marriage.

- Influenced by Jean-Martin Charcot and Josef Breuer, which sparked

his interest in treating hysteria and exploring the unconscious mind.

Legacy:

- His works in the early 1900s were considered monumental and

revolutionary.

- According to Spielman et al., Freud’s contributions to clinical practice

and his role as an innovator make him an integral figure in the
historical development of psychology.

Theory of Personality
Freud's psychoanalytic theory assumes that there exists an ongoing conflict
within an individual's mindbetween the conscious and the unconscious.
Sent
Rational Choice Theory

 "Rational choice theory (RCT) assumes that individuals make decisions

by considering the costs, risks, and benefits of their choices."
 "The theory was proposed in the 18th century by the economist and
philosopher Adam Smith."
 "Individuals carefully analyze their choices based on what is good for
them (self-interest)."
 "These choices are rational; this means that individuals weigh in on the
benefits and costs of their decisions and choose the one that most
benefits them."

"RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY HAS THREE KEY ASSUMPTIONS:

 Individuals are motivated by personal goals and driven by their own

desires.
 Since resources such as money, time, and energy are finite, individuals
must choose attainable means to reach their goals and desires.
 Social phenomena can be explained through rational individual
actions."
 "The unreflective life is not worth living." - Socrates

Institutionalism

 Max Weber: As institutions gain members, they gain legitimacy,

becoming part of a society's tradition. Following an institution can be
based solely on its long-standing presence.
 Institutionalism: Observing society through this lens requires
understanding the formation of socially-integrated habits, customs,
and conventions.

Key Concepts:

 Habits:
o Repeated actions.
o Recognized by a self-conscious individual.
o Internally represented (part of individual identity).
 Customs:
o Habits that are shared within a group.
o Integrates a social aspect to habits.
 Conventions:
o Procedures agreed upon by society.
o What each group agrees to represent becomes conventional.
 Institutions:
o Conventions that become more represented in society.
o Institutionalizing something means reinforcing agreed-upon
habits, customs, beliefs, laws, and conventions.
o May have different backgrounds and authorities for
implementation.

Relationship Between Habits and Institutions:

 Institutions are formed through the reinforcement of certain agreed-

upon habits.

Institutionalism in Families:

 Informal institutions can exist without explicit rules.

 Rely on widely shared and implied understandings of proper behavior.
 Example: Unspoken rule in some families for the eldest child to support
younger siblings' education.

Institutionalism in Law (Philippine Context):

 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, Article 3, Section 4: "No

law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or
of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and
petition the government for redress of grievances."
 Right Upheld: Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of
the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition
the government.
 Institutionalism Perspective: This law institutionalizes the societal
value placed on truth and freedom of expression, reflecting innate
social values like honesty. The law protects the people by embedding
this belief in the Constitution.