The reading passage has three paragraphs, A-C. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-C. 1. a description of a certain age group acting on the basis of symbolic meanings ______ 2. a reference to a theorist whose ideas inspired symbolic interaction theory ______ 3. an example of a drink that is defined by socially constructed meanings ______ 4. a reference to ideas about race being based on social meanings ______ A. Symbolic interaction theory - also known as symbolic interactionism - is one of the key theoretical ideas used in sociology to explain individual actions. This theory can be traced to Max Weber, an influential German sociologist who believed that people make decisions based on their interpretation of the world around them. In the early 20th century, this idea was picked up by George Herbert Mead, who reframed it as a means of understanding how an individual relates to objects in the world. B. Mead's ideas, which were published in a book entitled Mind, Self and Society, showed how people's understanding of the world is created socially rather than being based on objective truths. This suggests that all material objects, abstract concepts, and social systems are defined by the subjective meanings that each person ascribes to them. These meanings are not innate in objects themselves but are created through social interactions. One example of this would be a bottle of champagne, which signifies luxury and wealth. These are socially determined meanings that are not based on any properties of the champagne. C. The radical element of this theory was the idea that subjective symbols are more important than actual facts when it comes to individual actions or beliefs. Thus, teenagers will take up smoking because of its association with being cool, even though they are aware of the health risks. They therefore prioritise the symbolic meaning of smoking over its actual effects on their health. Similarly, racist ideas about the superiority of one race can persist in certain societies despite the evidence that they are false. In this situation, the socially constructed meaning of race takes the place of the facts.