Here's why:
* Focus on Individuals and Interactions: Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the ways individuals create meaning through their interactions with each other. It looks at how people define situations, interpret symbols, and negotiate meanings in their daily lives.
* Small-Scale Analysis: The approach is concerned with the micro-level of social life, such as face-to-face interactions, small groups, and individual experiences. It analyzes how these interactions shape individual identities and social structures.
* Emphasis on Subjectivity: Symbolic interactionism recognizes that individuals have subjective interpretations of the world and that these interpretations are constantly evolving through social interaction.
Contrast to Macro-Level Approaches:
While symbolic interactionism focuses on the micro-level, other sociological perspectives like functionalism and conflict theory are considered macro-level approaches. They focus on large-scale social structures, institutions, and social systems.
In Summary:
The symbolic-interaction approach is a micro-level orientation because it prioritizes the study of individual interactions and the meanings people create in their everyday lives.