Editing Interactionism (section)

{{Short description|Sociological theory}}
{{About|the sociological perspective|3=interactionism (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Symbolic interactionism}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2016}}
{{weasel|date=March 2009}}
{{Sociology}}

In [[Microsociology|micro-sociology]], '''interactionism''' is a theoretical perspective that sees [[social behavior]] as an [[Interactivity|interactive]] product of the individual and the situation.<ref>Baumeister, R. F., and J. M.Twenge. 2001. "Personality and Social Behavior." Pp. 11276–81 in ''[[International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences]]'', edited by [[Neil Smelser|N. J. Smelser]] and [[Paul Baltes|P. B. Baltes]]. {{doi|10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/01779-4}}.</ref> In other words, it derives social processes (such as [[Social conflict|conflict]], [[Social cooperation|cooperation]], [[identity formation]]) from [[social interaction]],<ref>[http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/interactionism Interactionism – The Free Dictionary]</ref> whereby [[Subjectivity|subjectively]] held [[Meaning (semiotics)|meanings]] are integral to explaining or understanding social behavior.<ref name=":0">"[https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/interactionism Interactionism | Topics]." ''ScienceDirect''. Retrieved 2021 March 12.</ref>

This perspective studies the ways in which individuals shape, and are shaped by, society through their interactions. Interactionism thus argues that the individual is an active and [[Consciousness|conscious]] piece of the social-context [[Systems theory|system]], rather than merely a passive object in their environment.<ref name=":1">Millová, Katarína, and Marek Blatný. 2015. "Personality Development: Systems Theories" Pp. 879–83 in ''International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences'' (2nd ed.). {{doi|10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.23035-3}}.</ref> It believes interactions to be guided by meanings that are attached to [[Self (sociology)|the self]], to others with whom each individual interacts, and to situations of interaction; all of which are altered in interaction themselves.<ref name=":0" /> In this sense, interactionism may stand in contrast to studies of [[socialization]], insofar as interactionism conceives individuals to influence groups at least as much as groups influence individuals.<ref name=":2">Hodapp, Robert M. 1999. "Indirect Effects of Genetic Mental Retardation Disorders: Theoretical and Methodological Issues." ''International Review of Research in Mental Retardation'' 22:27–50. {{doi|10.1016/S0074-7750(08)60130-5}}</ref>

[[George Herbert Mead]], as an advocate of [[pragmatism]] and the subjectivity of social reality, is considered a leader in the development of interactionism.<ref name=":0" /> [[Herbert Blumer]] expanded on Mead's work and coined the term ''[[symbolic interactionism]]''.

Through this perspective (under modern techniques), one may observe human behavior by three parts: trait, situation, and interaction (between trait and situation). 'Trait' refers to the extent to which [[personality]] directly affects behaviour, independent of the situation (and therefore consistently across different situations); 'situation' takes into account the extent to which all different people will provide basically the same response to a given situation; and 'interaction' involves the ways in which the same situation affects individual people differently.<ref name=":2" />