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The term ”definition of the situation” has come to signify the ”Thomas theorem,” the idea expressed by W. I. Thomas as follows: ”If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences” (Thomas & Thomas 1928: 571-2). That is, when the phrase is used, it usually carries with it the connotation of the whole theorem. However, the phrase ”definition of the situation” predates Thomas’s famous theorem. The more general conceptualization seems to be closely related to the concept of norms and culture. The interpretation of collective norms is important for all social action. It is only in certain situations where the agent chooses to redefine the norms. Park and Burgess (1921: 763-9) cite a Carnegie study (1919) where the term is used to discuss the topic of assimilation to American society, especially in terms of ”Americanization”: ”common participation in common activities implies a common ‘definition of the situation.’ In fact, every single act, and eventually all moral life, is dependent upon the definition of the situation. A definition of the situation precedes and limits any possible action, and a redefinition of the situation changes the character of the action.” Clearly the theorem, as it is often interpreted, applies more to the ”redefinition” of a situation than to the norms defined by the collectivity.
Merton’s (1948) self-fulfilling prophecy focuses on the false definition of the situation which evokes behavior that then makes the original false belief seem true. In that way, the self-fulfilling prophecy is a subset of the definition of the situation, not the other way around, as is often held. The Thomas theorem can also be interpreted as a contribution to general sociology. Thomas clearly did not mean that all human choice is limited to social constructions; there is an ”obdurate” reality and many definitions are real due to group pressures. Thomas’s contribution is valuable as a reminder that there are indeed times when the objective consequences of holding a false belief can be very real. Moreover, his ideas are not restricted to symbolic interaction; his sociological and anthropological ”social psychological” interest in cognition and motivation overlaps with other approaches.
Bibliography:
- Carnegie Corporation (1919) Memorandum on Americanization: division of immigrant heritages, New York. Extract in Park & Burgess (eds.) (1921: 763-9).
- Merton, R. K. (1948) The self-fulfilling prophecy. Antioch Review 8: 193-210.
- Park, R. E. & Burgess, E. W. (eds. and comps.) (1921) Introduction to the Science of Sociology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
- Thomas, W. I. & Thomas, D. S. (1928) The Child in America: Behavior Problems and Programs. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
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