Symbolic Interactionism and Bullying : A Micro-Sociological Perspective in Education

Bullying is a social phenomenon that is currently receiving increased attention from school officials and policymakers, with great emphasis placed on the social and psychological impacts of this behavior on students. Popp, Peguero, Day, and Kahle (2014) express concern, however, over the paucity of research specifically targeted to the educational effects of bullying, especially considering it takes place primarily within the context of the school’s environment. Nakamoto and Schwartz (2010) conducted a meta-analysis of 33 studies looking at adolescent bullying and reported a significant negative association between bullying and academic performance. Bullying, then, is not an abstract phenomenon for practitioners but one that directly impacts all aspects of the school’s mission. The problem inherent in looking at bullying behavior from a predominantly psychological and social perspective is that it leads to strategies focused on macro structures and systems, when bullying occurs on an individual or micro level, a dissonance Guba and Lincoln (1994) described as “nomothetic/idiographic disjunction” (p. 106). The lack of “fit” between macro approaches and the specific needs of practitioners and students is seen in continued reports of educators’ lack of selfefficacy in dealing with bullying (Banas, 2014; Cassidy, Brown, & Jackson, 2012) and students’ decreased academic self-efficacy when involved in bullying behaviors (Popp et al., 2014). Though there is utility for macro-focused research, a more immediate need exists for more micro-focused research in order to provide an efficient way of “dissecting” bullying behavior and its impact on practitioners and students. This will lead to increased efficacy of preventive strategies, practitioner education, and student awareness. Crotty (1998) posited that research should be led by two fundamental questions: “First, what methodologies and methods will we be employing in the research we propose to do? Second, how do we justify this choice and use of methodologies and methods? ” (p. 2). Booth, Colomb, and Williams (2008) extended this argument by explaining that the thoroughness of inquiry and resultant usefulness of research-based strategies start with asking the right questions when conducting research. They suggested that utilizing an appropriate theoretical framework to ensure cohesion between the problem, the questions, and the methodology directly impacts the utility of the research results. A theoretical framework that effectively guides an understanding of bullying behavior, makes explicit its educational impact, and provides pertinent tools for reversing its effects in schools is Symbolic Interactionism (SI). SI is a sociological paradigm that offers an explanation for the “how” and “why” of behavior by allowing a shift away from a macro-sociological focus on systems and structures to a microsociological focus on individual behavior (Lindsey & Beach, 2000). Utilizing SI as a paradigmatic focus for the explication and explanation of bullying behavior will provide researchers with efficient methods for unpacking the causes and effects of bullying behavior, guide research towards more relevant answers, and provide practitioners and students with more appropriate tools for tackling the insidious effects of bullying. This paper will describe the theoretical underpinnings of SI by looking at its historical evolution and paradigmatic frameworks; look at research on bullying from a micro-perspective through a lens of SI; and highlight micro-focused strategies for dealing with bullying behavior that practitioners can easily implement in the classroom.