Symbolic Interactionism, Social Constructivism and the notion of Social Capital … On the quest for the right paradigm

The working title for my PhD research project is ‘Creative Learning Processes of Refugee Children and the Utilisation of Social Capital’. Due to the focus on learning processes and the utilisation of Social Capital I was not only interested in looking into paradigms which engage with the creation of meaning. Thus I was looking into Symbolic Interactionism and Social Constructivism. Through my involvement with the Schools and Social Capital Network of the Applied Educational Research Scheme (AERS) the links between the approaches occurred to me.

Symbolic Interactionism as well as Social Constructivism rely on the focus of social environment and social interactions. In Symbolic Interactionism the interactions are taking place upon objects. They are defined as other human beings and their categories, guiding ideas (norms, values …) as well as daily life situations (Blumer, 1969).

Taking up this definition social networks thus relations within them, do not only belong in the category of objects. Social networks are objects in this sense, additionally to being the space where these meanings are created at.

Therefore it seems to be inevitable to explore interlinks of the paradigms of Symbolic Interactionism, Social Constructivism and Social Capital.

I set out to explore this connection because it might help me scaffolding my research in terms of data analysis and interpretation.

If meaning is deriving out of social interactions within the social environment and Social Capital is creating social environments as well as inheriting norms, values and regulations there might be reciprocity between the concepts.

 

Ethical Issues in Research with Asylum Seeker and Refugee children

The background of this presentation is my PhD project; to explore creative learning processes and the impact of Social Capital on refugee children. The research is taking place in schools with a high proportion of children from asylum seeking or refugee families.
These children are considered as particularly vulnerable. A part of these children might be traumatised due to the situation in their home countries. The situation within the families can be very stressful and disturbing for the children (Avan; Bakshi, 2004).

The dilemma discussed in above presentation:
Is it ethical to gain consent from the children without consent from the parents?
Is it ethical to invovle the parents in the process of consent considering the power relations?
What are the legal aspects?

A subsequent presentation held at Children, Young People and Families Research Conference in New Lanark (January 2008) had a chang of focus. In conjunction with new ethical guidelines and finalising the age group of the participants as over 12 years old.
I looked more into general discussion how to do research ethically.
There are difficulties trying insure against all eventualities. Depending on different cultural backgrounds of researcher and researched (eg) behaviour could be percieved unethical by one but not the other.
Conclusion to this is to ensure that the research process is made clear at any point of the research and the participants made aware of their rights. Their rights to withdraw at any point and also to withdraw information already disclosed when feeling uncomfortable afterwards.  

Avan, Bakshi (2004) My mum is now my best friend. Asylum-seeker and Refugee Families in Glasgow. Save the Children. Glasgow
Alderson, Morrow (2004) Ethics, social research and consulting with children and young people. Barnado's. Ilford
Lee-Treweek, Linkogle (2000) Danger in the Field: Ethics and Risk in Social Research. Routledge. London

Blurbs: No1 Poem about Research

This poem is from my research diary when trying to reflect what the actual problems at the initial state of the PhD projects were.

Create creative creativity
In the space of experience
On the stage No. 'School‘
Live lifes, see through eyes, smell with nose, feel with hands
See with hands, smell with eyes, hear through nose
Make things out of dreams
Blow soap bubbles in the air
Rainbow-coloured-bubbles … the sphere of light
Who is I and me and we?
Where to start? Where to end?
Do you know who you are?
Then take a picture, than just in a view…
Moments time you will be … but be
Someone else.

The first part of the poem is about troubles with British terminology and finding a way around it. Experiential Education was the initially planned approach for the research project. Most of the field work will take part in school or school related environment. The new interpretation of using sense organs  is reflecting upon the position as a researcher in the sense of travelling light and let packages of preconception behind and being able to take different positions looking at things from different angles. 
The soap bubbles are like ideas occuring during the process of making the research into my project. They are about having ideas which at the end explode like soap bubbles.
The last part of the research has a lot to do with identities. Patchwork-identities is one of the concepts I would like to consider. In reference to refugee children having to find new roles, new positions in their environment. Further it refers to the other children and their understanding of themselves, teachers and basically everyone concerned in this research. 
Last but not least I have to question my identity as researcher: who am I when I go into the field?
Further taking pictures over a long time period might enable us to see a process, to see the narratives more clearly?

 

 

Arts and Education

Experiential Learning – a possibility for contemporary issues in education?

In contemporary early childhood education issues there is a development towards child-centred approaches through which the child becomes autonomous, reflective and responsible. (vide e.g. Sting et al.) Yet seeing (children) pupils as active learners who become able to use their abilities is not only an issue in early childhood education.
Education should be seen as an understanding of the cultural and civilizing world of human beings (Girardet, 2004) with communication and language as essential bases for inter-subjectivity (Bruner, 2003). The viewing of play as an archetype of learning (Petersen, 1931) makes it an important issue, not only in early childhood education. Some aspects of play that are significant for learning processes in general will be examined.
The method of Experiential Learning has been chosen since it offers a range of possibilities to meet the requirements of contemporary issues in education. It creates an environment in which pupils are allowed the opportunity to interact in real-life contexts, to construct individual meaning and to engage in complex actions that reflect outside school. (Weatherley, 2000, p.71) This requires differences in the roles of educators and educational institutions as well as changes in methods. Methods are explained within the setting of a German kindergarten and in the context of an English learning group. Since the characteristics of learning processes are not dependent on age, the techniques can be appropriately adapted to different age groups.
Some methods dealing with experiential learning will be discussed and experienced. However, a more detailed look at the delivery style will not be given now – since distraction initiates learning.

References:

 

 

Abstract MPhil Dissertation 2005

This research is concerned with the topic of early years’ professionals’ perceptions of their occupation in a comparative context of Scotland and Saxony.
The current discussion about the development of a national curriculum in preschool education in Saxony is of contextual relevance as it is the matter of the impact and the availability of such a curriculum, as has been the case in Scotland for the past six years.
In detail the tension between theoretical guidelines (law, curricula) and their implementation is examined.
There are claimed to be many influences that determine the behaviour of early childhood education staff members during the process of becoming familiar with the relevant educational theory and its application.
The theory underlying this research is symbolic interactionism, since it is concerned with meaning-building. This theory is mainly concerned with the interpretations (meanings) and behaviour, for instance, that an individual acquires as a result of interaction with the social environment. Qualitative research methods were therefore chosen as they are concerned with the investigation of processes.
Private as well as state pre-school institutions in Saxony and Scotland took part in the study. Interviews were held with each head of the institution and one of the nursery nurses, or Erzieherinnen, while observations took place in the playroom of the nurses previously interviewed.
Some differences in theory and its application between the two countries were identified. Whereas it was not possible to figure out what role each individual’s interpretations had in these differences, some environmental influences could nevertheless be defined as being formative.
Two issues that needed further clarification emerged. They were the different levels of social capital in both countries as well as the concept of social, emotional and personal development.
Some other suggestions such as, for instance, the improvement of co-operation with parents surfaced too.

 

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