What are social action/interactionist theories?

Social action/interactionist theories are theoretical perspectives within sociology that focus on how individuals create and interpret social meaning through their interactions with one another. These theories emphasize individual agency and consciousness in shaping social structures.

George Herbert Mead, Erving Goffman, and Howard Becker are all influential thinkers associated with social action/interactionist theories.

Social action/interactionist theories differ from other sociological theories in their focus on individual agency and interpretation. While other theories may emphasize broader social structures and institutions, social action/interactionist theories prioritize the micro-level interactions between individuals.

Meaning is central to social action/interactionist theories, as these perspectives emphasize the ways in which individuals create and interpret social meaning through their interactions with one another. Individuals engage in ongoing processes of negotiation and interpretation in order to create and maintain shared understandings of the world around them.

Agency is a key concept in social action/interactionist theories, as these perspectives emphasize the ways in which individuals actively shape and interpret their social environments. Rather than being passive recipients of social structures and norms, individuals are seen as actively creating and interpreting meaning through their interactions with one another.