The Use of Symbolic Resources in Developmental Transitions

Zittoun, Tania, Duveen, Gerard, Gillespie, Alex, Ivinson, Gabrielle Mary and Psaltis, Charis 2003. The Use of Symbolic Resources in Developmental Transitions. Culture & Psychology 9 (4) , pp. 415-448. 10.1177/1354067X0394006

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Abstract

This paper introduces the idea of symbolic resources as the use of cultural elements to mediate the representational work occasioned by ruptures or discontinuities in the smooth experience of ordinary life, moments when the ‘taken-for-granted’ meanings cease to be taken for granted. In particular we are concerned with the use of symbolic resources in moments of developmental transitions, that is, the mobilization of symbolic elements ranging from shared bodies of knowledge or argumentative strategies to movies, magazines or art pieces. The paper begins with a brief theoretical sketch of these ideas, and then presents three case studies, each of which involves the use of a different type of symbolic resource within a particular age group. In the first, children are observed in interaction with a peer about a conservation problem. In the second, adolescents are observed negotiating the meaning of their art productions with their peers, teachers and parents. The third example looks at Western tourists searching for spirituality, adventure and freedom in Ladakh as an alternative to the materialism of modernity. In each case the analysis of the symbolic resources employed indicates the significance of the gaze of the other in the construction of meanings, and of the various constraints operating within specific situations. The analysis also reveals different modes of use of symbolic resources, linked to changing forms of reflectivity.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	constraint, culture, development, reflectivity, symbolic resources, transitions
Publisher:	SAGE
ISSN:	1354-067X
Last Modified:	19 Mar 2016 22:06
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/3233

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