Interactionist

An interactionist is a proponent of interactionism, a micro-level sociological and social-psychological perspective that emphasizes the role of social interaction in shaping meaning, identity, and social order. Interactionism is commonly associated with symbolic interactionism, which holds that people act toward things on the basis of the meanings those things have for them, meanings that arise from social interaction and are modified through interpretation.

Origins of the approach lie in the work of George Herbert Mead and his student Herbert Blumer, with Blumer popularizing symbolic interactionism in mid-20th century sociology. The central claim is that language, symbols, and shared definitions make social life possible and that the self develops from taking the perspectives of others.

Key concepts include symbols, definitions of the situation, and the idea of the self as a social process. Social reality is constructed and negotiated in daily interactions; the performance of roles and impression management (influenced by later work such as Erving Goffman) shape how individuals present themselves and interpret others.

Methodology favors qualitative, micro-level methods—participant observation, in-depth interviews, and conversation analysis—applied to settings like families, classrooms, workplaces, and online communities to understand how meaning is created in everyday talk and practice.

Applications span identity formation, deviance, race and gender relations, and organizational life. Critics argue that interactionism downplays macro structures, power, and material conditions, and that its focus on micro interactions may overlook systemic forces that shape behavior and inequality.

Notable figures include George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer, and, in related strands, Erving Goffman. The approach has informed related perspectives such as social constructionism and ethnomethodology.

See also: symbolic interactionism; microsociology; social constructionism; dramaturgy; ethnomethodology.