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 provide an analysis of “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-concepts and behaviors. 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 Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay “Analyzing Saints and Thugs Through the Lens of Symbolic Interactionism” Based on How We Interpret the meaning of our world, we become this interpretation. As society assigns a label to a group of people, it is more likely than not that those who are labeled will accept that label (internalization) and act accordingly 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 an extended 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 (men) and race (white). Saints often engaged in deviant behavior, such as driving drunk and playing with traffic lights. However, their reputation within the community remained positive because they were less visible within the community. This was because they had access to cars which allowed them to travel away from their community to commit crimes. In cases where they were confronted with authority, they were simply polite and civil towards them. Their behavior made them be seen in a positive light, so most of the time they were left behind. Typically at school, their teachers saw them as children with “bright futures.” On the other hand, Roughnecks engaged in petty crimes such as fighting and stealing. As they had limited access to cars, they were more visible to their community committing the crimes, thus leaving an unfavorable impression. When confronted, they were extremely haughty towards authority and were punished for it. Most members of the community considered the Roughnecks to be "troubled kids." When both groups of boys became adults, the Saints generally had successful adult careers, while the Roughnecks generally continued their delinquencies (with the exception of 2 boys). Symbolic interactionism helps us understand the results of this case. The Saints grew up upper-middle class, so immediately the community perceives them as children from promising homes. Since their parents perform good deeds through their work, the likelihood that their children will do the same as adults is higher. This perception of children also affected how police officers and teachers viewed them. Their teachers thought they were good children because they were.