The definition of the situation is a fundamental concept in symbolic interactionism

Symbolic interactionism

Symbolic Interaction, also known as interactionism, is a sociological theory that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction to provide subjective meaning in human behavior, the social process and pragmatism.-History:...

 advanced by the American sociologist W. I. Thomas

W. I. Thomas

William Isaac Thomas was an American sociologist. He is noted for his innovative work on the sociology of migration on which he co-operated with Florian Znaniecki, and for his formulation of what became known as the Thomas theorem, a fundamental principle of sociology: "If men define situations as...

. It is a kind of collective agreement between people on the characteristics of a situation, and from there, how to appropriately react and fit into it.

Establishing a definition of the situation requires that the participants agree on both the frame of the interaction (its social context and expectations), and on their identities (the person they will treat each other as being for a given situation).

See also

• Impression management
  Impression management
  In sociology and social psychology, impression management is a goal-directed conscious or unconscious process in which people attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event; they do so by regulating and controlling information in social interaction...
  
  
• Self-presentation
• Symbolic interactionism
  Symbolic interactionism
  Symbolic Interaction, also known as interactionism, is a sociological theory that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction to provide subjective meaning in human behavior, the social process and pragmatism.-History:...
  
  
• Thomas theorem
  Thomas theorem
  The Thomas theorem is a theory of sociology which was formulated in 1928 by W. I. Thomas :In other words, the interpretation of a situation causes the action. This interpretation is not objective. Actions are affected by subjective perceptions of situations...