The Theory Behind AAVA
About AAVA
AAVA is founded on the theory of Symbolic Interactionism
Accept that we all make Assumptions, be conscious of our Vocabulary, and Acknowledge the shared meaning of our words.
What is Symbolic Interactionism?
Symbolic Interactionism is 100 years old. Yet, it is one of the most relevant theories (I believe) for our time. Please read on.
Confusing conversations are part of everyday life. Even when we believe we are communicating clearly, our words are often misunderstood.
Symbolic Interactionism (stay with me; I’ll break it down and be brief) is a social theory from the early 20th century that explains how we give meaning to things through interaction with others.
Our words (language) are the tool we use to communicate the meanings of things to others. Before symbolic interactionism, people believed that meaning originated from institutions or systems, a top-down approach.
In reality, it is the opposite. Symbolic interactionism demonstrates how we “collectively” construct our understanding of things.
Think about it. Symbolic interactionism tells us that our meanings do not exist without the presence of other people. It is such a simple and powerful concept, and it was quite a revolutionary theory for its time.
100 years on: Symbolic Interactionism is still valid.
Symbolic Interactionism was developed in the early 20th century by George Herbert Mead, a philosopher and sociologist who believed language connects how we think, act, and relate to society.
After Mead passed away, his ideas were formalised by his colleague and former student Herbert Blumer, who in 1969 coined the term Symbolic Interactionism, and the description stuck. Blumer distilled the theory into three key concepts:
1. We act toward things based on the meanings we give them.
2. Those meanings come from social interactions.
3. We constantly interpret and adjust those meanings as we go through life.
Blumer believed that number three (3) was the most critical premise: Our meanings are not fixed; they morph and change as we do.
What is AAVA?
AAVA is a communication framework that helps us bridge gaps and reach a “shared understanding” of our words. The acronym “AAVA” stands for
Accept
Assumptions
Vocabulary
Acknowledge
To me AAVA (I also refer to AAVA as “she or her”!) is more than a model for fixing communication gaps – originally her focus was the miscommunication between design and business; yet, it is clear to me now that we all need to be more aware of what our vocabulary means to others.
