Symbolic interactionism is rooted in the works of George Herbert Mead and Herbert Blumer and emphasizes the role of repeated social interaction, language, and symbols in shaping human behaviour and society. It emphasises how people know their social world and make meaning of the social realities. Viewing gender through this perspective highlights how individuals create, maintain, and negotiate gender roles and identities through their daily interactions.
Symbolic interactionism views humans as social beings, who constantly engage with others in society to make sense of their relationships, social realities and environment. Their thoughts and reflection in their minds commonly revolve around their past interactions which shape their perspective of their relationships and social dynamics. Everyday life interactions include communication which serves as the primary tool for humans to interpret and express their views and reality. Individuals construct meaning and shape their perceptions of the world around them through their communication, shared conversations and understanding. These meanings that they develop are not fixed. They continuously evolve and develop through future interactions which help refine it. Humans have control over how they view their reality and define it, their choices in how they choose to communicate, interpret and respond are how they create meaning in their lives. By consciously or actively shaping their perspective, they can change their view of the world, their relationships and their idea of themselves. (Franz, 2019).
Through socialization, individuals are taught how to behave according to accepted social behaviour and norms, and express their gender in ways that align with social expectations. Children internalize gender norms by interacting with parents, teachers, and society and shape their understanding of what it means to be masculine or feminine. Symbols such as clothing, colours, and activities play a crucial role in defining and reinforcing gender norms. Gender socialization is a critical process through which individuals learn and internalize societal gender norms. Family, education, media, and religion serve as key institutions in this process. From an early age, children are exposed to gendered expectations through parental guidance, school curriculums, and media representations. Girls are usually considered as the weaker and kinder gender as compared to boys and these beliefs dictate the behaviours and actions of girls and boys into their adulthood. They are taught how to present themselves respectfully, sit decently, walk gracefully, talk softly, and dress femininely. Mead (1934) argued that individuals develop their sense of self by taking the perspective of others and internalizing societal norms. This implies that children learn to see themselves through the lens of societal expectations, shaping their behaviour to align with these norms. The colour pink is associated with females, representing innocence and emotionality, reinforcing traditional gender expectations. Women are adapted to roles of caregiving and submission from their childhood, with childhood toys to prepare them for their future domestic roles. This socialisation is produced and reinforced into their everyday life and becomes accepted and enacted by children.
Men, on the other hand, are symbolised as strong, rational and leading figures. Boys are associated with the blue which reinforces these values. They are taught to be tough, brave and strong. Childhood toys like trucks and bikes condition them for roles of independence and societal power. These symbolic meanings shape rigid gender roles, perpetuating a patriarchal system where men hold authority and women are always expected to conform to these traditional roles. Son preference has been prevalent across countries where succession and inheritance laws favoured sons (May Watts, 2024). In Sri Lankan societies, women’s roles are shaped by deep-rooted beliefs and social constructs. The birth of a girl is seen as less fortunate than that of a boy which reflects symbolic values related to femininity being subordinate. Although this is true for Sri Lankan societies, it remains true for many other societies outside of Sri Lanka (Jayathilaka et al., 2021).
The gender norms that were traditionally created through interactions with people are changing due to the change in the meaning people interpret their relationships. Women and men from younger generations build their relationships based on shared responsibilities and equal partnerships. They prioritise equality over assigned gender norms in their relationships and favour flexible gender roles. The binary concept of gender construction is being challenged in everyday interactions. People from the younger generation acknowledge and accept multiple and diverse gender constructs.
Symbolic interactionism captures how gender meanings and inequalities are created, and how these meanings and inequalities change over time through repeated interactions. While understanding meaning creation in everyday interaction is crucial, understanding the larger structure that shapes social realities plays an important role in sociology. Individual experiences are influenced and shaped by the larger network of social systems. Distinct gender norms and their meaning creation are shaped by the larger patriarchal structure consisting of social norms, beliefs, social groups, institutions and history. Gender is socially constructed by individuals and shaped by the larger network of social systems.
References
1. Franz, M. (2019). Symbolic Interaction Theory: Definition & Examples – Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com. Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/symbolic-interaction-theory-definition-examples.html.
2. Jayathilaka, A., Medagama, T., & Panadare, U. (2021). Symbolizing Gender Roles: Application of Symbolic Interactionism in Sri Lankan Context. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3933896
3. May Watts, S. (2024, October 27). Son Preference in India. Ballard Brief. https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/son-preference-in-india
4. Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self, and Society. University of Chicago Press.
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Vadanya Kaul is a student from Gurgaon majoring in Marketing with a minor in Film and Television Management at FLAME University, Pune. Melody Kshetrimayum teaches at FLAME University, Pune and works in the areas of women, gender, SRH, medical humanities, and indigenous culture.