SOC 2700 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Operant Conditioning, Ethnomethodology, Ingroups And Outgroups
Document Summary
People act towards things, but they do so on the basis on the meanings those. Interactions and the symbols (and their meanings) that are deeply implicated in it things have for them. These meanings stem from our interactions with other people. People do not simply internalize the meanings that they learn through social interaction, but they are also able to modify them through an interpretive process. People, in contrast with their animals, are unique in their ability to use and rely on symbols. People become human through social interaction, especially in the early years with family members and then in school. People are conscious, capable of reflecting on themselves and what they do, and therefore capable of shaping their actions and interactions. People have purpose when they act in and well as towards any situations. We can see society as consisting of people engaging in social interaction.
