The Discovery of an Interaction Sequence: Echoes from the Application of Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theorizing

Abstract

Human interaction is sequenced according to data analysis from a recent study. This article discusses one of the revelations from a larger study, in which the author demonstrated the use of qualitative methods in researching a particular lived experience among some students in a Nigerian Secondary school. The paper anchors its analysis on fieldwork data from participant observation, unstructured interviews, focus group discussions and the participants’ diaries. Data especially from the interviews and the focus group discussions revealed that within the individual there is an interactive process, which first and subjectively mediates between the individual’s action and the actual carrying out of the action. This paper seeks to highlight issues relating to this evolving interaction theory. The analysis reveals an interactive pattern within an individual that is informed by the individual’s subjective dispositions. Such revelations point toward a specialized kind of interactive process that appears to be intuitively individualized. Important implications have been enumerated and on the basis of these, the paper concludes that if the unpacking of the dynamics of sociology on interaction is part of the focus of sociology of education, it becomes imperative for educational researchers, theorists and policy-makers to acquaint themselves with the workings of such interaction dynamics.