Abstract
This article advances a way of conceptualizing the adolescent as “theorist” derived from interpretive sociology. This formulation of the adolescent as theorist is contrasted to that available within Piagetian theory. It emphasizes the practical and the occasioned nature of theoretical activity and shows it in everyday settings. Interview conversation between an adolescent and an adult is used as empirical illustration. This formulation of the adolescent as theorist is offered as a means of entry to the scientific constitution of the adolescent as a practitioner of world building who uses the same available resources and does the same sense-making work as any competent member in a culture.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker, C. (1980). An interpretive approach to the study of adolescent socialization and identity, unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto.
Bannister, D., and Mair, J. M. M. (1968).The Evaluation of Personal Constructs, Academic Press, London.
Berger, P., and Luckmann, T. (1967).The Social Construction of Reality, Penguin, Middlesex.
Blum, A. F. (1974). Theorizing. In Douglas, J. D., (ed.),Understanding Everyday Life, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Broughton, J. (1977). Beyond formal operations—theoretical thought in adolescence.Teachers Coll. Rec. 79(1, September): 87–97.
Conger, J. J. (1977).Adolescence and Youth: Psychological Development in a Changing World, 2nd ed., Harper & Row, New York.
Elliott, H. C. (1974). Similarities and differences between science and common sense. In Turner, R. (ed.),Ethnomethodology, Penguin, Middlesex.
Farrell, M. A. (1969). The formal stage: A review of the research.J. Res. Dev. Educ. 3(1): 111–118.
Ginsberg, H., and Opper, S. (1969).Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development: An Introduction, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Glaser, B., and Strauss, A. (1967).The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research, Aldine, Chicago.
Grinder, R. E. (1973).Adolescence, Wiley, New York.
Inhelder, B., and Piaget, J. (1958).The Growth of Logical Thinking, Basic Books, New York.
Kagan, J. (1972). A conception of early adolescence. In Kagan, J., and Coles, R. (eds.),Twelve to Sixteen: Early Adolescence, Norton, New York.
MacKay, R. (1974). Conceptions of children and models of socialization. In Turner, R. (ed.),Ethnomethodology, Penguin, Middlesex.
McHugh, P. (1974). On the failure of positivism. In Douglas, J. D. (ed.),Understanding Everyday Life, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Muuss, R. E. (1975).Theories of Adolescence, 3rd ed., Random House, New York.
O'Neill, J. (1973). Embodiment and child development: a phenomenological approach. In Dreitzel, H. P. (ed.),Childhood and Socialization, Macmillan, New York.
Schutz, A. (1970).On Phenomenology and Social Relations, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Schutz, A. (1971). The stranger: An essay in social psychology. In Cosin, B. R.,et al. (eds.),School and Society, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Silvers, R. J. (1976). Discovering children's culture.Interchange 6(4): 47–52.
Sullivan, E. V. (1976). Comment: Phenomenology and structuralism: A war of the worlds.Interchange 6(4): 52–54.
Wilson, T. P. (1974). Normative and interpretive paradigms in sociology. In Douglas, J. D. (ed.),Understanding Everyday Life, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received Ph.D. from University of Toronto. Current interests are the social and scientific constitution of the adolescent, and interpretive methodologies in the study of adolescence.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baker, C.D. The adolescent as theorist: An interpretive view. J Youth Adolescence 11, 167–181 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537465
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537465