Editing Symbolic interactionism (section)

== Applications ==
Symbolic interaction can be used to explain one's identity in terms of roles being "ideas and principles on 'what to do' in a given situation," as noted by Hewitt.<ref name=":03">{{Cite journal|date=2012|title=Symbolic interactionist perspective on linking privacy and identity in social networking sites|url=https://web-b-ebscohost-com.libdata.lib.ua.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=11c6a4ba-2f40-42a8-9384-bba00a780929%40sessionmgr103|journal=International Communication Association|series=Conference Papers|pages=1–27}} {{closed access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Hewitt|first=J. P.|title=Self and Society: A Symbolic Interactionist Social Psychology|publisher=Allyn and Bacon|year=2007|edition=10th|location=Boston}}</ref> Symbolic Interactionist identity presents in 3 categories- situated, personal and social. Situated identity refers to the ability to view themselves as others do. This is often a snapshot view in that it is short, but can be very impactful. From this experience, one wishes to differentiate themselves from others and the personal identity comes to exist. This view is when one wishes to make themselves known for who they truly are, not the view of others. From the personal identity taking place, comes the social identity where connections and likeness are made with individuals sharing similar identities or identity traits.<ref name=":03" />

This viewpoint of symbolic interactionism can be applied to the use of social networking sites and how one's identity is presented on those sites. With social networking sites, one can boast (or post) their identity through their newsfeed. The personal identity presents itself in the need for individuals to post milestones that one has achieved, in efforts to differentiate themselves. The social identity presents itself when individuals "tag" others in their posts, pictures, etc.<ref name=":03" /> Situated identities may be present in the need to defend something on social media or arguments that occur in comments, where one feels it necessary to "prove" themselves.

Coming from the viewpoint that we learn, or at least desire, how to expect other people's reactions/responses to things, Bruce Link and his colleagues studied how expectations of the reactions of others can affect the mental illness stigma. The participants of the study were individuals with psychosis who answered questions relating to discrimination, stigma, and rejection. The goal of the study was to determine whether others' expectations affect the participants' internalized stigmas, anticipated rejection, concerns with staying in, and other. Results found that high levels of internalized stigma were only present in the minority, however, anticipation of rejection, stigma consciousness, perceived devaluation discrimination and concerns with staying in were found to be more prevalent in participants. These perceptions were correlated with the outcomes of withdrawal, self-esteem and isolation from relatives. The study found that anticipation of rejection played the largest role in internalized stigmas.<ref>Link, Bruce, Jennifer Wells, Jo Phelan, Lawrence Yang. 2015. "Understanding the importance of 'symbolic interaction stigma': How expectations about the reactions of others adds to the burden of mental illness stigma." ''[[Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal]]'' 38(2):117–24. [[Digital object identifier|doi]]:[https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fprj0000142 10.1037/prj0000142].</ref>

'''Applications on social roles'''

Symbolic interactionism can be used to dissect the concept of social role<ref name=":13">{{Cite journal |last=Lopata |first=Helena |title=Symbolic Interactionism and I |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/si.2003.26.1.151 |journal=Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction |year=2003 |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=151–172 |doi=10.1525/si.2003.26.1.151 |jstor=10.1525/si.2003.26.1.151 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and further study relations between friends.<ref name=":23">{{Cite journal |last=Lopata |title=Back Matter |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1389146 |journal=Sociological Perspectives |year=1991 |volume=34 |issue=1 |doi=10.2307/1389146 |jstor=1389146 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>  A social role begins to exist when an individual initiates interaction with other people who would comprise a social circle in which the initiator is the central terminal, the accumulated proceedings of duties and rights performed by the central person and all the other participants in this social circle reinforces this dynamic circle. Apart from the central role, such social groups are constituted of participants who benefit from the central figure and those who are eligible and capable of helping the central role to achieve its envisioned objectives.<ref name=":13" /> The roles in the social role dynamic aren't preordained although the prevalent culture of a specific society usually possesses a default structure to most social roles.<ref name=":13" /> Despite the fact that the predominant culture of a certain society typically exerts large amount of influence on the instinctive formation of the structures in social groups, the roles in social groups are eventually formed based on the interactions occurred between the central figure and other potential participants in this role.<ref name=":13" /> For illustration, if a central person of the social role is a police officer, then this social role can contain victims, teammates, operators, the dispatch, potential suspects, lieutenant. Social roles could be formulated by happenstances, but it can't escape the inexorable reconfiguration of multilateral exchanges of each role's obligations in a social role. (Lopata 1964). Through this lens, the examination of various social roles becomes more receptive and accessible, which also possesses the same effects on examining friendship and other vocations.<ref name=":23" />