Assess the usefulness of interactionist approaches to the study of society.
There are many different theories and perspectives that are used to study society. However, interactionism is an action theory that is mainly focused on small-scale interactions between individuals and groups, rather than large-scale workings of society. Interactionists seek to understand the meanings that social actors give to actions and situations usually by using qualitative research methods.

Goffman was another interactionist who used the labelling theory to describe how we think of ourselves as actors who need to give a ‘convincing’ performance to the audience, this is the dramaturgical analogy. Goffman believes that we are social actors who are performing for the rest of society to persuade and prove to them that we can fit into the role given to us. He states that we use language, tone of voice as well as props and settings to give a perfect impression to the audience, however he argues that we do not have a ‘tightly scripted role’ as the functionalist theory believes, but loosely scripted roles that allow us to change certain factors.
There are many different theories and perspectives that are used to study society. However, interactionism is an action theory that is mainly focused on small-scale interactions between individuals and groups, rather than large-scale workings of society. Interactionists seek to understand the meanings that social actors give to actions and situations usually by using qualitative research methods.

Goffman was another interactionist who used the labelling theory to describe how we think of ourselves as actors who need to give a ‘convincing’ performance to the audience, this is the dramaturgical analogy. Goffman believes that we are social actors who are performing for the rest of society to persuade and prove to them that we can fit into the