Symbolic Interactionism is very different from the two previous perspectives as it does not

focus on the structural issues of race and ethnicity as much as it deals with the micro level
interactions between people in social context. Symbolic Interactionists focus on social
context rather than social structure. This means that instead of looking at the broad structural
characteristics of society at large, Symbolic Interactionists look at the social milieu of
individuals as members of certain groups (race, ethnicity, gender, sex, and socioeconomic
classes to name a few). Symbolic Interactionism came out of the social psychology of
George Herbert Mead. Mead is considered the father of Symbolic Interactionism. From
the Symbolic Interactionist perspective, people learn their identities in interaction with
others. During childhood, you learn who you are by imitating others, responding to the
cues others present you with, and by thinking of yourself from the perspective of others.

From a Symbolic Interactionist viewpoint, race and ethnicity are important sources of
identity. When you see someone from another race, you tend to produce responses to that
individual based on the information you have. In doing this, you create a symbolic exchange
in which your language, gestures, and mannerisms communicate your own racial and ethnic
identities as well as what you think about the language, gestures, and mannerisms of other
groups. Take for example ebonics, the term given to A.A.V.E. (African-American
Vernacular English). The dialect referred to as ebonics is an important source of identity and
group membership among some classes of African-Americans. However, this dialect is
devalued by mainstream English speakers who see it as improper. Furthermore, AfricanAmericans from areas characterized by this dialect can be outcast for not speaking this way,
even as they can be devalued in society at large for using the language. Because of this,
many African-Americans become bi-dialectal, speaking the appropriate dialect to the
appropriate audience. Unfortunately, like bilingual children, this can slow their mastery of
the English language since technically they are learning two languages, not one.

See more at: http://www.elearnportal.com/courses/sociology/race-and-ethnicity/race-

and-ethnicity-major-theories-applied-to-race-and-ethnicity-continued#sthash.XecAlxs8.dpuf

ETHNICITY.. WIKI

Ethnicity theory says that race is a social category and is but one of several factors in determining
ethnicity. Some other criteria include: religion, language, customs, nationality, and political
identification (Omi & Winant 15). This theory was put forth by sociologist Robert E. Park in the
1920s. It is based on the notion of culture.

Popular theatre, as a source of mass entertainment in nineteenth century England, reveals how race was
viewed and how stereotypes, that came to underpin later forms of racism, were developed.