In his article, the author points out the value of symbol for the human culture and argues that without symbols, a human cannot be fully considered human. He claims that only when a homo sapiens learns to assign meaning to specific symbols do they become a human person. He continues his argument by scrutinizing humanity through the lens of society and culture – the two concepts that distinguish a human from nonhuman animals (White 30).
White argues that a deaf and mute person with no symbolic communication skills cannot be regarded as human. He states that symbols are human beings’ way of organizing their society and culture. We only act like human beings when we agree to attribute some specific meaning to a symbol. Without symbols and symbolic behavior, no society or culture can be present.
Thus, if a person does not master the communication that can make them part of this society, they cannot be distinguished from animals even though they look human. One can oppose this argument by pointing out the DNA differences between humans and animals, a more complex brain, and, therefore, complex thoughts. Also, such people can be unable to communicate, but if people exclude them from society, they can hardly be considered as human as they pretend to be. In the abortion controversy, White would probably take the pro-choice position because freedom of choice is another thing that separates humans and animals.
As per White, society and culture are the ways human intellect manifests itself (White 31). They appear because humans agree to assign some specific meaning to a symbol. The agreement is one of the traits of human behavior, but different cultures can agree to attribute different meanings to one and the same symbol. They can also have different symbols to express one concept.
This is the reason we see other cultures as foreign and this is where group preferences arise. Because our culture is more understandable to us and because we feel ourselves part of our culture, we can develop some hostility towards the others. To overcome the cultural clash and the group preferential, people have to learn foreign languages and communicate with representatives of other cultures. Communication helps to understand that every culture and society is unique and embrace the differences. Accepting this diversity can be an effort, but we as citizens of the world have to be patient, calm, and open to new ideas.
Helen Keller was a blind and deaf girl who was growing up without symbolic interaction. The author describes her as “a little animal,” suggesting that she had no understanding of culture and manners. A very important element was missing that would allow her to communicate: the understanding of the connection between hand signs and objects of reality.
When her tutor finally got her to understand this connection, she gained the ability to communicate within the culture she was born into. In other words, she understood that people around her had a means of interacting with each other and was eager to learn. Through symbolic interaction, she learned the norms and ways of the society and the more she learned, the more she felt she could learn. The reason being, communication is not only the way of conveying ideas, but also the means of preserving them and further using in daily living.
Work Cited
White, Leslie Alvin. “Symbol: The Basic Element of Culture.” The Science of Culture:
A Study of Man and Civilization. Clinton Corners, NY: Percheron Press/Eliot Werner Publications, 2005. Print.