QUESTIONS TO SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS

1			Blumer's three core premises of symbolic interactionism deal with meaning, language, and thought. According to Blumer, which comes first? Can you make a case for an alternative sequence?
2			What do interactionists believe are the crucial differences between human beings and animals? What would you add to or subtract from the list?
3			As Mead used the terms, is a looking-glass self the same thing as a person's me? Why or why not?
4			Think of a time in your life when your concept of self changed significantly. Do you believe that self-fulfilling prophecy played a major role in the shift?