The social construction of authorities: An interactional ethnographic examination of positional legitimacy

Abstract

In this interactional ethnography, we examine the everyday interactions of five students as they navigate and co-construct positions of authority in one first-grade mathematics classroom. Through the lens of positioning theory, we conducted domain and taxonomic analyses to elucidate the ways students demonstrated legitimacy in their claims for positions of authority during partner work time. Two taxonomies of authority persisted: ritual legitimacy and mathematical legitimacy. Ritual legitimacy captures how students used the rituals of the classroom to gain a position of authority. Mathematical legitimacy details how students used mathematical procedures or perceived correctness to gain a position of authority. We specifically reveal how students used intercontextual claims to gain legitimacy in their bids towards positional authority. We also offer implications for future studies.