Social Action Theory

Social action theorists see people as having more proactive role in shaping social life.
Most people engage in voluntary behaviour, and do not feel like they are puppets of society.
The attitudes and actions of others influence the way people think and behave.
Society is a product of people interacting in social groups, trying to make sense of their own and each others behaviour.
People bring a set of interpretations to every social interaction and use them to understand social behaviour.
When people interact they look for symbols such as smiling to read how the other person sees their behaviour. Smiling = social approval.
Experience of symbolic interaction gives people knowledge about what behaviour is appropriate in different situations.
They learn about how to behave in different social situations such as a party as appose to a funeral.
Socialization involves learning a stock of shared interpretations which shows them the personality characteristics of certain cultures.
For example, In British Culture mothers are meant to be loving, nurturing and selfless, so women who are mothers will attempt to live up to this description.
As children grow up socialization helps then learn what is expected of them.
Sociologist say people have a…

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