Disciplines and

Ideas in the
Social Sciences
(Quarter 1 – Module 2/Lesson 3/Week 7)

Department of Education
SDO – City of San Fernando (LU)
Region I
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Disciplines and
Ideas in the
Social Sciences
(Quarter 1 – Module 2/Lesson 3/Week 7)
Dominant Approaches and
Ideas in the Social Sciences
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES

• Analyze the basic concepts and principles of Symbolic Interactionism.

• Apply Symbolic Interactionism and its importance in examining socio-
cultural, economic, and political conditions.

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For the parents:

1. Please guide your child while he is studying and answering the tasks provided in this
module.
2. Remind your child about his study time and schedule so he can finish the module.
3. Let your child answer the module activities independently, however, assist him only
when necessary.
4. I will call on a certain time based on the schedule to explain the lessons in the module.
5. Kindly return the whole module and answer sheets on _________ during Fridays at
____________________.

For the learners:

1. Carefully read the directions so that you will know what to do.
2. If there are directions or topics in the module that are difficult for you to understand,
feel free to ask from your parents or companions at home. However, if you still could
not understand, you can call me at this number, _____________so I could explain it
to you clearly.
3. Answer the activities in the module on the specific day for the subject. Use a separate
sheet of paper for your answers. Avoid writing or tearing the pages of this module
because this will be used by other pupils/students like you.
4. Write important concepts in your notebook regarding your lesson. This will help you
in your review later.
5. You need to finish the activities in this module so that you can give this to your
parents on ___________________________.

Always remember these health tips:

1. Remember to wear your face mask properly and regularly.

2. Always wash your hands with clean water and soap.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with handkerchief whenever you cough or sneeze.
4. Follow the one-meter distance so that you will prevent the spread of the virus.

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 Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences Self – Learning Module is mapped and
aligned to the Department of Education Senior High School Curriculum and was written with
the students in mind. It attains the K to 12 Most Essential Learning Competencies of DepEd.
Enriched with the 21st century skills and supplemented with relevant figures, the variation of
activities and exercises promotes the overall goal of the K to 12 Basic Education Program,
which is holistically developed Filipino. Furthermore, this module includes the following
components:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

What I Need
competencies you are expected to learn in the
to Know
module.
This part includes an activity that aims to check
What I what you already know about the lesson to take. If
Know you get all the answers correct (100%), you may
decide to skip this module.
This is a brief drill or review to help you link the
What’s In current lesson with the previous one.
In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced
What’s New to you in various ways; a story, a song, a poem, a
problem opener, an activity, or a situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of the
What is It lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.
This comprises activities for independent practice
What’s to solidify your understanding and skills of the
More topic. You may check the answers to the exercises
using the Answer Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank
What I Have
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process what
Learned
you learned from the lesson.
This section provides an activity which will help
What I Can
you transfer your new knowledge or skill into real
Do
life situations or concerns.
This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of
Assessment mastery in achieving the learning competency.
In this portion, another activity will be given to
Additional you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the lesson
Activities learned.

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 What I Need to Know
This module will help you to demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and
approaches in the Social Sciences. Furthermore, you will be able to: (a) interpret personal and
social experiences using relevant approaches in the Social Sciences; and (b) evaluate the
strengths and weaknesses of the approach.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. analyze the basic concepts and principles of Symbolic Interactionism;
2. appraise the meanings that people attach to everyday forms of interaction in order to
explain social behavior (HUMSS_DIS11-IIIh-3); and
3. apply Symbolic Interactionism and its importance in examining socio-cultural,
economic, and political conditions.

What I Know

Before we get started, let us find out how much you already know about this module
by answering the pre – test below.

INSTRUCTION: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the UPPERCASE LETTERS
ONLY on your answer sheet.

1. What is referred to as a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among

individuals within a society?
A. Marxism C. Structural-Functionalism
B. Psychoanalysis D. Symbolic Interactionism
2. Who is widely considered as the founder of symbolic interactionism?
A. Herbert Blumer C. Karl Marx
B. Erving Goffman D. George Herbert Mead
3. What is the contribution of Erving Goffman to symbolic interactionism?
A. division of labour C. pragmatism
B. dramaturgical analysis D. tenets of meaning

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 4. Who among the proponents coined the term “symbolic interactionism” and outlined its
basic premises?
A. Herbert Blumer C. Karl Marx
B. Erving Goffman D. George Herbert Mead

5. Which of the following is NOT a core principle of symbolic interactionism?

A. education C. meaning
B. language D. thought

Lesson
Symbolic Interactionism
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“All communication is symbolic and based upon interaction and meaning.”
~ George Herbert Mead

What’s New

INSTRUCTION: Identify the meaning of the following symbols/gestures. Write your

answers on your answer sheet.

_______________1. A rainbow emoji or rainbow flag

_______________2. Pagmamano
_______________3. Putting your thumb down
_______________4. Skull and crossbones
_______________5. Nodding or raising eyebrows with a smile

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 What is It

NATURE OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

(Image Source: https://medium.com/design-bootcamp/symbolic-interactionism-applied-to-ux-e9aa21a14583)

Symbolic interactionism is a sociological perspective on self and society based on the

ideas of George H. Mead (1934), Charles H. Cooley (1902), W. I. Thomas (1931), and other
pragmatists associated, primarily, with the University of Chicago in the early twentieth century.
The central theme of symbolic interactionism is that human life is lived in the symbolic domain.
Symbols are culturally derived social objects having shared meanings that are created and
maintained in social interaction. Through language and communication, symbols provide the
means by which reality is constructed. Reality is primarily a social product, and all that is
humanly consequential—self, mind, society, culture—emerges from and is dependent on
symbolic interactions for its existence. Even the physical environment is relevant to human
conduct mainly as it is interpreted through symbolic systems.

George Herbert Mead

(Image Source: https://ourpolitics.net/george-herbert-mead-pragmatic-philosophy/)

George Herbert Mead, (born Feb. 27, 1863, South Hadley, Mass., U.S.—died April 26,
1931, Chicago), American philosopher prominent in both social psychology and the
development of Pragmatism.

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 His main contribution was his attempt to show how the human self arises in the process
of social interaction. He thought that spoken language played a central role in this development.
Through language the child can take the role of other persons and guide his behaviour in terms
of the effect his contemplated behaviour will have upon others. Thus Mead’s psychological
approach was behaviouristic.
He is considered a founder of symbolic interactionism though he never published his
work on it (LaRossa and Reitzes 1993). Mead’s student, Herbert Blumer, coined the term
“symbolic interactionism” and outlined these basic premises: humans interact with things
based on meanings ascribed to those things; the ascribed meaning of things comes from our
interactions with others and society; the meanings of things are interpreted by a person when
dealing with things in specific circumstances (Blumer 1969). If you love books, for example,
a symbolic interactionist might propose that you learned that books are good or important in
the interactions you had with family, friends, school, or church; maybe your family had a
special reading time each week, getting your library card was treated as a special event, or
bedtime stories were associated with warmth and comfort.
Social scientists who apply symbolic-interactionist thinking look for patterns of
interaction between individuals. Their studies often involve observation of one-on-one
interactions. For example, while a conflict theorist studying a political protest might focus on
class difference, a symbolic interactionist would be more interested in how individuals in the
protesting group interact, as well as the signs and symbols protesters use to communicate their
message. Janitors and supporters strike with signs in front of MTV network in Santa Monica.
The focus on the importance of symbols in building a society led sociologists like Erving
Goffman (1922–1982) to develop a technique called dramaturgical analysis. Goffman used
theater as an analogy for social interaction and recognized that people’s interactions showed
patterns of cultural “scripts.” Because it can be unclear what part a person may play in a given
situation, he or she has to improvise his or her role as the situation unfolds (Goffman 1958).
Studies that use the symbolic interactionist perspective are more likely to use qualitative
research methods, such as in-depth interviews or participant observation, because they seek to
understand the symbolic worlds in which research subjects live.

CRITICISMS ON SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

Critics of this theory claim that symbolic interactionism neglects the macro level of
social interpretation. In other words, symbolic interactionists may miss the more significant
issues of society by focusing too closely on the “trees” rather than the “forest.” The perspective
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also receives criticism for slighting the influence of social forces and institutions on individual
interactions. In the case of smoking, the functionalist perspective might miss the powerful role
that the institution of mass media plays in shaping perceptions of smoking through advertising,
and by portraying smoking in film and television. In the cases of race and gender, this
perspective would not account for social forces like systemic racism or gender discrimination,
which strongly influence what we believe race and gender mean.

What’s More

INSTRUCTION: Complete the given table below by identifying the different

contributions of the proponents of symbolic interactionism. Choose your
answers from the pool of terms and write them on your answer sheet.
Cultural Systems Mind, Self, Society Social Facts
Dramaturgical Analysis Pragmatism Social Darwinism
Meaning, Language, Thought Social Conflicts 3 Tenets of Meaning

Proponent Contribution
1.
George Herbert Mead
2.
3.
Herbert Blumer
4.
Erving Goffman 5.

What I Have Learned

Remember the following:

• Symbolic Interactionism is an approach that sees society as the product of the everyday
interactions of individuals.
• The core principles of Symbolic Interactionism are meaning, language, and thought.

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 What I Can Do
DRAW AND TELL

INSTRUCTION: If you are to wrap up your relationship with your family, what object or
thing would symbolize it? Draw that object or thing and write a short
essay why you chose that. Use a short bond paper for this activity and
attach it on your answer sheet. Write your complete name and section.
This activity will be evaluated using the rubrics below:

(Image Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/63754150948603718/)

(Image Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/essay-rubric-2081367)

Assessment
INSTRUCTION: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the UPPERCASE LETTERS
ONLY on your answer sheet.

1. A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to __________.

A. behaviours C. human organs
B. conflicts D. theatrical roles

2. Which research technique would most likely be used by a symbolic interactionist?

A. Participant Observation C. Surveys
B. Quantitative Data Analysis D. none of the above

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3. What does George Herbert Mead believed to be necessary for the relationship among
individuals within society?
A. communication C. power elite
B. military D. revolution

4. Which among the following statements is incorrect example from the Tenets of
Meanings?
A. Meaning based from action. C. Meaning is constant.
B. Meaning can change. D. Meaning varies.

5. What is important that people should portray according to Erving Goffman in

Dramaturgical Analysis?
A. education C. meaning
B. gender D. role

Additional Activity

➢ WEB CONNECT. Instruction: Scan the QR code or access the link below for the
instructional video on Symbolic Interactionism.

https://tinyurl.com/yy8cjpob

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 References

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Abulencia, A. S., et al. (2017). Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences (First
Edition). Pasig City, Philippines: Department of Education

ONLINE RESOURCES
 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-sociology/chapter/reading-symbolic-
interactionist-theory/
 https://www.thoughtco.com/symbolic-interaction-theory-3026633
 https://www.slideshare.net/Mahadmuhib/symbollic-interactionism-in-sociology
 https://www.slideshare.net/JoanaCerejo/symbolic-interactionism-theory
 https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/sociology-and-social-
reform/sociology-general-terms-and-concepts/symbolic-
interactionism#:~:text=Symbolic%20interactionism%20is%20a%20sociological,Cool
ey%20(1902)%2C%20W.%20I.&text=Symbols%20are%20culturally%20derived%2
0social,and%20maintained%20in%20social%20interaction.
 https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Herbert-Mead