Mohammad Maaz Razi

Professor Stern
Sociology 1301-1W1
July 7th, 2015

Part One: Symbolic Interactionism

Sociologists utilize several perspectives in order to dissect and understand the inner
workings of social factors which influence our daily lives. These include structural-functionalist,
conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives. Among these three most prominent theoretical
perspectives, the symbolic interactionist viewpoint in particular urges me to focus on certain
aspects of the world which I had not previously considered.
Some of the key features of the symbolic interactionist perspective that stand out are
those that differ from alternative viewpoints. George Herbert Mead, a founder of the perspective,
chose to consider the actual meaning behind ones actions rather than dissect their biological and
psychological influences. Mead looked closely at the dynamic between stimuli and responses in
every day social settings rather than why they did it. The Freudian and Eugenicist viewpoints
which traced the reasoning behind peoples actions were not the focus of his studies; instead
Mead and other sociologists such as Charles Cooley and Herbert Blumer in particular examined
the actual reasons behind social interactions. The way they accomplished this was by
understanding what certain interactions symbolized rather than how they initially appeared. As
mentioned in the class discussions, the symbolic interactionist perspective can be understood by
putting oneself in the position of an individual that is a part of an interaction and relating to what
it is that they actually want or need from the interaction. One of the online summaries (entitled
Human Beings are Active Agents that Construct social Reality) about George Herbert Meads
perspective captures this key feature by describing a child that disobeys parents in search of
attention, which the child receives even when being punished. Another key feature of this
perspective is rooted in its origins, which stem from American Pragmatism, and serves to
highlight how this perspective is practical due to its focus on everyday interactions as it can help

understand the actual and oftentimes hidden reasons why individuals behave in certain social
interactions.
After studying this sociological perspective I began to notice that it truly altered my
perception of certain social environments. Instead of viewing situations from my own personal
standpoint, I now find that I am able to fully comprehend the motives behind the actions of those
that I interact with, and am therefore much more easily capable of resolving issues. I find that I
am now familiar with the fact that oftentimes, people tend to be for themselves rather than
against others. This enlightened perspective grants me a far more holistic understanding of social
interactions, which as a result make me a more sociable and content individual. To be more
specific, some insights I have gathered after applying this perspective in my life is that at work a
lot of the patients I see tend to be irate and impatient. Instead of assuming their mannerisms to be
indicative of their disposition towards me, I have begun to gain insight as to why they actually
behave that way. I find myself much calmer now as I am able to observe their mannerisms to
demonstrate their level of concern as well as their immediate need of medical attention. Instead
of becoming frustrated, this insight allows me to more effectively understand the justifiable
excuse for their behavior is their need of attention and pressing concern for their health. Outside
of work I find that I am now able to more effectively communicate with my parents and friends,
as well as understand why they have certain expectations of me. The symbolism behind their
interactions has become apparent, and I have fully incorporated the symbolic interactionist
perspective into my daily life.

Part Two: Sociological Concepts

Sociological concepts can be used to categorize and understand various aspects of the
social world. Among the various sociological concepts that are relevant to everyday life, there
are three prominent concepts which are relatively more pertinent to me than others. These three
concepts are multiculturalism, cultural relativism, and impression management. Each of these
three concepts has had a profound effect on me and has helped me enlarge my viewpoint on the
social world.
First and foremost, the concept that that enlarged my perspective on the social world is
multiculturalism. Although I had previously been aware and considerate of this particular
concept, I believe that studying it has had a lasting impact on my perspective of different
cultures. Due to studying the traits and characteristics of various cultures, I have become more
understanding as to why individuals from certain cultures have certain mannerisms and
traditions. The video Death in Gaza helped me understand how the admixture of conflict and
culture can transform innocent children into violent terrorists. The two boys in the video were
not unlike common American children, but through impactful childhood experiences involving
death and destruction they became attracted to the freedom fighters that manipulated children for
their purposes. Terrorist such as those shown in the Death in Gaza video can be the cause of
public scrutiny against Muslims in American societies, where people from other cultures often
fail to understand the difference between Muslims of different nationalities in the same way that
they fail to see the motives behind the terrorists overseas in committing violent acts. After
studying multiculturalism, I enlarged my view of the social world because I began to understand
why all cultures merit interest and respect, despite whatever primary perceptions I may have of

them. Coming from a middle-eastern background I began to understand that perhaps I too am
biased against cultures which I do not fully understand.
The next sociological concept which enlarged my view of the social world was cultural
relativism. This concept goes hand-in-hand with multiculturalism, because it illustrates how all
individuals cannot be judged with the same standards for normality. Living in an American
society, it is very easy to dismiss ethnic minorities to be uncultured or weird. But with
cultural relativism, I understand that people should only be judged based on the culture and
environment that have formed their character. Spending the most formative years of ones life in
a society where norms and traditions differ greatly from those of the American society can be
challenging, because adapting to new cultures often involves reprogramming. After studying
cultural relativism, I began to accept the fact that individuals of other cultures do not necessarily
need to deprogram in order to reprogram into American society. The blend of various cultures is
what grants diversity, and so the differences among various cultures should be cherished rather
than shunned.
Last but not least, the sociological concept which I consider to be significantly impactful
to my viewpoint of the social world is impression management. This is one viewpoint that I feel
every individual is consciously or subconsciously aware of, despite their understanding of
sociology. I consider every social interaction to include some degree of impression management.
Granted, not all impressions are managed to be positive, as oftentimes individuals intend to
appear apathetic or even intimidating. Regardless of the motives behind impression management,
its pertinence to the social world is undeniable. After reading into the social psychology behind
impression management, I began to more closely observe the impressions I felt that individuals I
interacted with were intending to impart. Becoming aware of the impressions others were

attempting to exude as well as the symbolic interactionist perspective makes me much more
aware of the minute details of social interactions.
In conclusion, each of the three sociological concepts has had a profound impact on my
view of the social world. These concepts have helped me broaden my understanding of social
interactions which I am a part of, as well as comprehend larger social issues which I can now
properly observe.