Symbolic Interactionism In The Tuohy Family

Theoretical Application

It is blatantly evident when examining the behaviours of the members of the Tuohy family, that symbolic interactionism has influenced them to act in a certain way on multiple occasions throughout their life. Leigh Anne, Sean, Collin, SJ and Michael are all guilty of using their interpretations of other people 's perception of them to determine their actions. The first example is during the Tuohy’s Thanksgiving lunch. Initially, Sean, SJ and Collin grabbed their food buffet style and went to sit in the living room to watch the football game. When Leigh Anne looked over to find Michael sitting at the dining room table alone, she quickly set the table, moved the food onto the table and called her family over to eat all together in the dining room. Based on Sean’s, SJ’s and Collins’s reactions, it was made apparent that they usually eat their Thanksgiving lunch in the living room watching the football game. Leigh Anne demonstrated the symbolic interactionism theory here because by seeing Michael sitting alone at the table, she interpreted that Michael believed that the family should be sitting together rather than continuing their tradition of eating in the living room. She calls everyone over to eat in the dining room, not because she thought she should or wanted to, but because she thought

SJ knew that it was a big moment for Michael and when Michael asked the college recruits if SJ could be a part of their meetings, SJ interpreted that Michael’s perception of him was that he was his manager at that time. SJ talked and acted like Michaels manager not because he thought he should but rather because he thought Michael thought he should represent him in that way. Due to the fact that SJ acted based on his interpretations of Michaels perception, his actions can be described by the symbolic interactionism