Symbolic interactionism, a microsociological theory created by Hurbert Blumer, focuses on everyday face-to-face interactions. The core of this theory assumes that people act based on the meaning they assign to objects. The meanings attributed to objects are socially constructed. In this article I will analyze “The Saints and the Roughnecks” as this article is a classic example of symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the importance of symbols, language, and social interactions in shaping individuals' self-concept and behavior. It emphasizes the importance of shared meanings, social roles and the construction of reality through social interaction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "The Analysis of Saints and Ruins Through the Lens of Symbolic Interactionism" Based on how we interpret the meaning of our world, we become that interpretation. As society assigns a label to a group of people, those who are labeled will most likely accept that label (internalization) and act on that label through the phenomenon called self-fulfilling prophecy. “The Saints and the Roughnecks” as an example of symbolic interactionism was written by William Chambliss, the behaviors of two groups of boys were observed over a prolonged period of time. The Saints came from an upper-middle class family, while the Roughnecks came from a lower class family. Both groups had two constant sociological variables; gender (males) and race (whites). Saints often engaged in deviant behavior, such as drunk driving and obstructing traffic lights. However, their reputation in the community was still positive because they were less visible in the community. This was due to access to cars which allowed them to travel away from their community to commit crimes. In case they were confronted with authority, they were simply polite and civil towards them. Their behavior made them perceived in a positive light, so they were left off the hook most of the time. Usually at school, teachers saw them as kids with a “bright future.” On the other hand, Roughnecks engaged in petty crimes such as fights and thefts. Because they had limited access to cars, they were more visible to the community committing the crimes, thus leaving an unfavorable impression. When confronted, they were extremely haughty towards authority and were punished for it. Most of the community regarded the Roughnecks as "trouble kids". As both groups of boys became adults, the Saints generally had successful adult careers, while the Roughnecks generally continued their delinquency (with the exception of 2 boys). Symbolic interactionism helps us understand the results of this case. The Saints grew up upper-middle class, so the community immediately perceives them as kids who come from promising families. Since their parents do good deeds through their work, the probability that their children will do the same when they become adults is higher. This perception of the kids also influenced how police and teachers viewed them. Their teachers believed they were good kids because they were respectful and lied that they had to do extracurricular activities as a way to get out of class. The cops on the other hand didn't want to deal with the repercussions of putting a rich kid in jail; lawyers e.