Sociology deals with interaction in such a way that it is an influencing force, where an individual gets influenced from the other individuals or the environment. Unlike it is deemed usually that interaction is taking place between the human beings only. Sociologists claim that the circle of interaction is ostensibly very vast. A man does not get influenced solely from the other same beings. However, his mind, thoughts and personality is always influenced rather from the other sources too, like culture, geography, cast, class, economy, family status and its background, his profession, moreover, his personal getup that how he appears and looks to others and what he thinks about himself. Interestingly, this statement has been finely analyzed by a prominent sociologist C. H. Cooley through his theory “Looking-glass self”. He articulates that the self of an individual is developed through three stages in a society. He furthermore resembles society with a glass or mirror and summaries that like an individual appears in front of a mirror, the mirror reflects his look, whether he is looking good or bad; resultantly he feels proud or shy. Similarly, by Cooley a man in the first stage exhibits himself in front of the society, in the second stage the society responds him that how he is looking and in the third stage he feels shy or proud of the social response. It is further asserted that the appearance is not merely in terms of outer outlook, however, it also consists of a man’s thoughts, conduct, contributions, competence, intellect, feelings, emotions, bravery and services which he tenders to the society.
Sociologists put forth a broad approach or perspective regarding social interactions in our daily life titled as “symbolic interactionism” popularly known as “interactionist perspective”, which stresses upon the mutual interactions among the social beings as well as the influence a man gets from the environment. The perspective concludes that the domain of social interaction is very vast and it encompasses a number of factors that are influencing the human thoughts and personality in different ways. In this context, economy is one of the prominent indicator attributes to the superiority or inferiority feelings of an individual. A person comes from a high-up family, always showing high confidence and considers himself superior, and contrary to that a man with poor economy manifests himself often very inferior and low confident. Similarly, a person with an outstanding position or status showing himself superior and the person with a low status or position is always considering himself inferior. It all happens only through their stimulus and interaction which they have with their economy and the social status. People from different casts and class behave differently, because of their casts and class respond them in different ways. The superior cast or class boosting up their confidence level and the inferior cast or class downing their morale and the confidence level. Likewise, ethnicity and race are also outstanding factors influencing the thoughts, ideas and social positioning of a person. In our daily lives it is noticed always and everywhere that the people with backward and nomadic ethnic groups often feel shy and rest introvert and the people from educated ethnicities or races and sedentary communities showing boldly behavior and remain very extrovert. These feelings and confidence is instilled through their interactions which influence and maintain their ethnic and racial status superior.
Human beings across the globe live quite different lives from one another in terms of their costumes, traditions, norms, values, standards, beliefs and so on. It happens richly because of the humans’ interaction and getting influenced from these cultural traits. Behaving and acting otherwise the life could become impossible in the said culture. Cultural theories indicate that a person as much as critical of a culture where he lives, it (culture) must keep impacts on the cognition and conduct of that person, and he would follow that culture by and large to some extent. Politically the interactions have prominent role in shaping ideologies of the masses. Voting behavior and voting patterns are constructed and molded through interactions. According to a survey 30% of voting behavior is changed exactly during the vote casting time owing to influencing power of interactions. Political leaders and workers while showing charming manifesto and programs influencing the views of masses and transform their ideology and thoughts.
Besides other forms of interaction, the intra-personal interaction is very insightful. Human being is always in interaction with his intellectual and apparent outlook. His sublime competence and charming outlook always motivates him to show high confidence and on the contrary it mitigates his confidence and gives him feelings of discouragement. Contextually, a well suited-booted person always participates in activities and face the public very confidently, and a marginalized man feeling afraid to face the masses and always remain at one side. it happens prominently because of the interaction of human beings with their physical appearance explicitly and latently with their economy. The process of interaction is also in practice with the getup and body texture of human beings. A man with expensive dress is found quite confident than the one who is attired with low-cost or uncleaned clothes. It is because human beings have interaction with their personal getup, which in turn influencing their thoughts and minds. Accordingly, a person with long beard (religious clergy) demonstrates always different conduct than that one who is clean shaver. Subsequently, it indicates that the human appearance dictates and guides him/her that how to behave and how to act. Moreover, a doctor, lawyer, professor, singer, driver, politician and likewise every one showing different behavior and conduct owing to their interaction with their profession and status.
In short interactions have a crucial role in our daily life. These multifaceted interactions determine, shape and regulate the human minds and thoughts. The social, psychological, political, religious, familial and cultural life is structured and constructed through the power of interactions. The interactionist perspective claim that mutual interactions are more powerful than any other source while developing self and personality of a man. These interactions mold the wisdom, thoughts and actions of the human beings. Consequently, it is advised that the man should be very curious and cautious about his society and gatherings, which are instrumental in molding his personality and the overall life.
