Symbolic Interaction as a Sociology of Concern: Revisiting the Theory of Reflexivity Methodologically

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to revisit the critical realist theory of reflexivity, derived from the pragmatist tradition of symbolic interactionism (SI). It discusses how interactionist sociology, with its emphasis on investigating microstructures through meaning‐making, has formed a critical realist theory of reflexivity that serves as a theoretical bridge between the micro and macro levels—specifically, between ‘subjective concerns’ and cultural and structural stability and change. The paper focuses on Margaret Archer's theory of reflexivity and internal conversation as a critical realist response to social constructionism, connecting it to SI, particularly through Herbert Blumer's framework. It proposes a holistic approach to studying reflexivity through human concerns. By underscoring the interconnection between SI methodology and the critical realist theory of reflexivity, the paper offers a triangulation of several qualitative methodological strategies to study reflexivity in a more rigorous manner while also providing a connection between the purely interpretive and the positivistic traditions.