Symbolic interaction is a theoretical approach of interrelating interactions in the society. It is one of the most important sociological theories which basically give the relationship between humans and society. Its main notion is that human interactions are understandable only by setting certain meanings to specific symbols and actions. As symbols define relationships, it helps in predicting the human behaviour. We develop our self-concepts through interaction with others. We are influenced by culture and social processes, such as social norms. The main assumptions of the symbolic interaction theory are:
1. Humans act towards situations based on the meaning they assign to them. 2. The meanings they ascribe is derived from the social interaction they have with the society. 3. These meanings are modified eventually by the individual depending on the situation he encounters. According to t
...his theory, humans are very different from the lower animals; humans have the ability to distinguish between a set of situations and respond differently depending on the surroundings, whereas lower animals voluntarily respond to the environment without any interruptions.
The meanings assigned to things can be altered recurrently by the creative capabilities of humans which can influence the society. The theory says that the humans ascribe meanings to only subjectively-defined objects. This theory focuses on the micro level referring to the ability of humans to think about others’ opinion of them and, evaluate their own conduct by comparing themselves with others. Yard sale is a method of selling personal or household goods, within the seller’s premises. It includes the sales of old clothes, books, furniture, home appliances, board games, lawn equipment etc.
This situation arises i
the seller is in a financial crisis, wants to make some excess money or wants to dispose certain articles present in the house due to insufficient space. Illustrating the second assumption of the symbolic interaction theory- Yard sales can be assigned a specific objective depending on the interaction of the seller with the society; for example the main aim of garage sales is to dispose unwanted materials from the seller’s house and sell it for a lower prise to those in need of them.
Illustrating the first assumption of this theory- As a result of this people from the neighbourhood and various other places gather around to pick the most appropriate articles sold in the yard sale and begin bargaining (also called as haggling) or looking for articles which are rare and unusual. This act of garage sales has spawned a new verb called ‘garage saling’ due to the excessive use of this phrase. Illustrating the third assumption- Yard sales may not attract individuals belonging to rich families.
Eventually, the concept of yard sales can change over the course of time regarding it as beneath one’s dignity to buy articles from yard sales. This can lead to discrimination among the rich and the middle class people by demeaning the act of yard sales. This can discourage the concept of garage sales, gradually leading to its declination in the future. In short, it refers to how individual opinions in different situations and changing ideas over a period of time, assign meanings to various activities in the society.
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