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Symbolic Interactionism

George Herbert Mead

Chapter 5
Interpersonal Communication—Interpersonal Messages

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Theory Overview

Abstracts appear in Appendix A of the 7th Edition

Humans act toward people, things, and events on the basis of the meanings they assign to them. Once people define a situation as real, it has very real consequences. Without language there would be no thought, no sense of self, and no socializing presence of society within the individual. (Socio-cultural tradition)

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