Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Sociology The Meanings and Functions of Symbols The Meanings and Functions of Symbols What are symbols? My sociological analysis of symbols is that they are social objects used for communication to self or for communication to others and to self. They are intentionally and unintentionally used incomplete objects, which continuously communicate meanings whether those meanings are tangible or emotional. Self is an object of the actor’s internal actions such as self-communication, self-perception, and self-control. Through self we communicate our identity, and direct our actions in situations internally and outwardly. In other words, through social action we communicate verbally with the tools of words and non-verbally with the tools of symbols. It is society who deems definition or meaning to a symbol; therefore, it is through symbols that we are socialized. Can children be seen as symbolic? To answer that question I refer to Cooley’s “Looking Glass Self Theory”. My interpretation of this theory explains that yes children can be seen as symbols because of this theory’s third party assessment of self. The reality of learned behavior among children is a direct representation of parental characteristics, accomplishments, and defeats. The ratio of parent-child interaction is far greater than the child-societal interaction, which ultimately provokes learned behavior and in turn the child becomes a mirror of parental self, ergo parent visualizes self through third party affiliation. In summary, how society perceives your children’s actions, language, and status, is to a certain degree, how they will perceive your actions, language, and status. My significant symbol is one with multiple meanings linked with multiple expressive stages within my life. My daughter, Kayla, represents several meanings but those meanings are perceived or interpreted differently and, in my opinion, differently among gender. This has been a problem for me in the past, which ultimately lead me to evaluate the opinions of my friends on their meaning of children. My female friends, who had no children at the time, thought of children as a chance to contribute to society in a positive manner. The idea of molding an individual within the boundaries of society excited them as if it were, just plain and simply their calling in life. My male friends, a little uncomfortable about maybe hurting my feelings, thought of children as, one friend put, “kids, that are not your own, are like the highest fence on the obstacle course with an unreachable rope dangling in front of you to hoist up on”. I had to laugh at that analogy, but I was also able to understand and empathize to the clarification he gave me afterwards. That clarification, of wanting to be a positive role model in a child’s life, but without the problems associated with a single mother such as, maybe being either too defensive to outside discipline, or perhaps the possibility of an uncooperative biological father, meant that this person seriously considered a few of the positives and negatives when becoming involved with a blended family. On the other hand, I have female friends that feel this society is so corrupt and therefore it is useless and unfair to bring a child into such disarray, and male friends that see children as a chance to continue the surname. Through this experience of interviews and others for that matter, I find it is the majority that men place a single mother on the list of avoidance and women perceive a single mother to be strong and responsible. To me, Kayla represents: a past love affair, a stage in my life of intense decision making, beauty, fear, dedication, responsibility, irresponsibility, patience, happiness, sadness, nurturing, education, and last but not least a future. To others, Kayla represents: responsibility, time constraints, educated, well mannered, beauty, a question of a cooperative or uncooperative father, friendship, an excellent student, a disrupted childhood, a single mother looking for a father figure, struggle, and happiness. There are definite similarities between how I define and how society interprets my symbol’s representation; however, there are also differences. For example, I never have and never will be looking for a father for my child simply because she has one. The “Labeling Theory” has played a permanent role in my life in regards to fatherless children; therefore, I strive to accomplish my goal of remaining in Ohio and allowing the chance for a father-daughter relationship, as I have no family here. I am thankful for that decision because that relationship is very strong. Pertaining to the similarities of interpretation, I feel that Kayla does represent time-constraints, happiness, and responsibility. Those are the definitions that give rise to my identity quite honestly because I was so young when she was born and have managed to keep a level head and succeed. Yes I have time-constraints which pushes me to manage my time more efficiently, yes I have happiness in a child that I see having a bright future, and yes I have responsibility and that prepares my mind to not sweat the small stuff. Stemming from an abusive past it is societal nature to assume or to pinpoint failure, I am just happy to prove society wrong. I understand the issue of learned behavior but speaking from experience, we also learn what not to do as well as what to do from our peers. In conclusion, a very important lesson to be learned here is that communication is an ongoing process for which, at times, may not be intentional and for which we must always be aware of cultural differences in order to remain or survive within our society. A symbol comes with many meanings and how we perceive those meanings is based on social experiences; however, we must always be aware of the distinct possibility that what you believe that symbol to represent may be directly on the opposite side of the defining spectrum. Bibliography: Word Count: 961
Copyright © 2005 College Term Papers, INC All Rights Reserved.