Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that focuses on how individuals interact with one another to create symbolic worlds, and in return, how these worlds shape individual behaviors. It is a theoretical framework that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals. Symbolic interactionism is based on the notion that people make sense of their social worlds through communication and social interaction, the exchange of meaning through symbols and language. Key principles of symbolic interactionism include:

• Subjective meanings: People respond to elements of their environments according to the subjective meanings they attach to those elements, such as meanings being created and modified through social interaction involving symbolic communication with other people.

• Small-scale perspective: Symbolic interactionism takes a small-scale view of society, focusing on the interactions between individuals, rather than large-scale structures.

• Qualitative research methods: Studies that use the symbolic interactionist perspective are more likely to use qualitative research methods, such as in-depth interviews or participant observation, because they seek to understand the symbolic worlds in which research subjects live.

Symbolic interactionism is often related and connected with social structure. This concept suggests that symbolic interactionism is a construction of peoples social reality, and it implies that from a realistic point of view, the meaning we ascribe to the world around us depends on our interactions with people, ideas, and events. However, symbolic interactionists are often criticized for being overly impressionistic in their research methods and somewhat unsystematic in their theories.