ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the interpretivist paradigm. The concept of varied understandings is at the heart of the interpretive paradigm. The interpretive paradigm holds that reality is constructed through subjective perceptions and interpretations. Researchers in the interpretive paradigm study the social construction of meaning through the analysis of individualized purposes, goals, and intentions in communication. Subjectivity is the condition for a researcher to be involved or inseparable from the research context. A common practice for interpretive researchers is active participation in the research process, which means their personal feelings and identity can often be observed in the writing. Phenomenology is the systematic explanation and study of consciousness and subjective human experience. Symbolic interactionism is an area of research emphasizing the relationships between symbols, the social world, and social interaction. Interpretive researchers believe patterns exist in human nature, but that patterns are a result of ever-evolving meaning systems, norms, and conventions people learn through interactions.
