In recent half a century, studies on China's youth subculture have changed day by day under social transformation and development of medias, formation of research traditions with the themes of meaning construction and interactive process. Among these, the symbolic interaction theory was most commonly used and introduced in youth subculture research because of its emphasis on symbols, interactions, and identity recognition. A systematic review of theoretical evolution and method change in the research on youth subculture in China over the last 30 years shows that most studies have focused on the symbolic expression and meaning negotiation in youth subculture. But in the current digital media era, youth subculture practice will be showing new content characteristics centered on emotion, relationship building, and companionship. Rewritten content: Recent studies related to online dream girl culture, virtual emotional companion and human-machine intimate relationship show that now youth subculture is no longer just a sphere for meaning production, but an important emotional projection place and emotional settlement place. So based on this, this paper is determined to re-interpret symbolic interaction theory in emotional perspective by reviewing the relevant research framework and emphasizes that the incorporation of the emotional dimension and the analytical framework is a way to enrich our understanding of contemporary China's youth subculture forms and their research shift.

Household waste management in residential areas often relies on prohibition signage as an environmental communication tool, yet its effectiveness in shaping residents’ compliance remains uneven. This study examines how prohibition signage operates as a symbolic form of environmental communication and how residents interpret and respond to it in everyday waste management practices. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research was conducted in the Villa Kintamani residential area, Tamansari Village, Setu Subdistrict, Bekasi Regency. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and analysis of community documents, and were analyzed thematically using a symbolic interactionist framework. The findings reveal that prohibition signage does not function as a self-evident or universally binding rule. Instead, its meaning is constructed through social interaction, shaped by perceived legitimacy of authority, situational and spatial contexts, and collective experiences within the community. Compliance tends to emerge when signage is interpreted as representing shared norms and collective responsibility, while signage perceived as an external or impersonal control mechanism results in situational or inconsistent adherence. By contrasting these findings with cognitive–linear models of signage effectiveness, the study demonstrates that residents’ compliance is a socially negotiated outcome rather than a direct response to visual instruction. The study contributes theoretically by extending symbolic interactionism into environmental communication research and offers practical insights for designing more participatory and context-sensitive waste management communication strategies.

Professional teaching standards shape how teachers understand and perform their roles, yet how these standards are personally experienced by teachers remains less explored. In this study, I examined the lived experiences of public elementary school teachers in relation to the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST). Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, I gathered teachers’ narratives through in-depth interviews to understand how they experience, interpret, and live out the PPST in their everyday professional work. Guided by Symbolic Interaction Theory, I found that teachers experience the PPST not merely as a policy requirement but as a professional guide whose meaning is gradually formed through school interactions, daily teaching practices, and professional engagement. Teachers live out the PPST implicitly rather than consciously applying it, with experiences of growth and tension forming part of their professional journey. These findings led me to view the PPST as a socially constructed and lived professional framework rather than a static evaluative tool.

Purpose: The study documents the works of two graffiti artists in Akropong Akuapem, Ghana, and how their artworks communicate. It explores how their creative practices reflect cultural identity, social commentary, and youth empowerment. Methodology: A qualitative case study design was used. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, field observations, and photographic documentation. Thematic and visual analyses guided the interpretation of findings. Findings: Results show that the two artists come from different personal and educational backgrounds but share similar motivations. They use graffiti to preserve cultural heritage, promote youth development, and spark conversations on social and political issues. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: Their works incorporate Akan symbols, traditional proverbs, and festival imagery. At the same time, they blend these with contemporary influences such as music culture, digital design, and Afro-futuristic aesthetics. The graffiti pieces function as cultural archives, educational tools, and platforms for dialogue. The study also reveals challenges. These include limited access to resources, lack of institutional support, high material costs, and persistent public misconceptions about graffiti. The study concluded that graffiti in Akropong is more than decoration. It has contributed to education, cultural preservation, and social transformation. Through the theory of symbolic interactionism, the study added a formal recognition of graffiti, provision of resources, mentorship for young artists, and community initiatives to strengthen its developmental and tourism value. Keywords: Art, Artists, Graffiti, Street Communication, Culture, Documentation, Akropong-Akuapem

Cultural reproduction of knowledge and identity: Impact of a competency-based curriculum on knowledge engagement and identity construction in second year undergraduate nursing students in England - A constructivist grounded theory study.

Against the backdrop of short videos becoming the dominant medium for culture and tourism information dissemination, this study focuses on the dual mechanisms of regional stereotype reinforcement and group identity formation driven by big data algorithms. Employing a mixed-methods approach, through content analysis of 3,200 culture and tourism short videos, questionnaire surveys of 800 audiences, and in-depth interviews, this research systematically examines the interactive relationships among algorithmic recommendations, content production, and audience cognition. The findings reveal: First, culture and tourism short videos exhibit significant symbolic concentration characteristics, with natural landscapes, local cuisine, and folk customs accounting for 73.34% of symbols, while dramatized narratives and emotional appeal strategies are employed at rates exceeding 80%, providing a content foundation for stereotype reinforcement. Second, algorithmic recommendations drive content homogenization through information cocoons and echo chamber effects, with the content similarity index climbing from 0.342 to 0.891 within eight weeks and high-traffic content surging by 303%. Third, audience regional perceptions demonstrate systematic biases, with virtual and actual experiences differing by an average of 1.39 points in ratings, stemming from cognitive mechanisms such as availability heuristics and representativeness bias, moderated by identity backgrounds and media literacy. Fourth, group identity forms through three-level coordination: individual cognitive activation, group symbolic interaction, and platform technological support, with high-interaction users achieving identity strength of 8.62 points, accompanied by significant group polarization phenomena (polarization index increasing by 170%). Fifth, cross-regional interactions are driven by psychological motivations including self-esteem maintenance and uniqueness needs, manifesting diverse patterns of confrontation and cooperation across different contexts. This study reveals the deep coupling mechanism of technology, content, and psychological processes, providing theoretical foundations and practical insights for optimizing culture and tourism communication strategies and promoting diverse presentations of regional images.

This research presents a multimodal analysis of 189 infertility GIFs collected from the subreddit r/trollingforababy over a 12-month period. Drawing on symbolic interactionism and Bakhtinian concepts, the analysis examines how users repurpose popular culture imagery to narrate infertility struggles on digital platforms. Three major themes emerged: temporal disjuncture and the symbolic weight of waiting, dialogic resistance and carnivalesque inversion of infertility social scripts, and the grotesque medicalized body and the politics of visibility. Across the three themes, GIFs emerge as symbolic performances that enable users to negotiate stigma, build collective meaning, and resist dominant reproductive ideologies, positioning infertility as not only a medical and social condition but also a communicative site where meaning, identity, and agency are contested.

English pronunciation plays a critical role in second language communication; however, learners’ subjective perceptions of their own pronunciation ability remain under-theorized. While pronunciation research has traditionally emphasized intelligibility, accuracy, and instructional effectiveness, comparatively little attention has been given to how learners perceive, evaluate, and emotionally experience their pronunciation performance. Addressing this gap, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for understanding English pronunciation self-concept among Chinese university engineering students. The framework integrates multidimensional self-concept theory, symbolic interactionism, and motivational self-theory to conceptualize pronunciation self-concept as a micro-level learner construct that is socially constructed, motivationally influenced, and contextually embedded. By synthesizing research on language self-concept, pronunciation learning, and sociocultural influences in Chinese higher education, the paper advances a context-sensitive conceptual model. The proposed framework offers a foundation for future empirical research examining pronunciation-related affect and engagement, and it provides pedagogical insight for designing feedback and instructional practices that support positive pronunciation self-concept development alongside technical accuracy.

Cases of Domestic Violence (KDRT) against women have increased significantly, both physically and psychologically. In this context, Surah An-Nisa' verse 34 provides gradual guidelines for dealing with nusyuz, including moral warnings that are often translated literally as "pukullah" (wadhribuhunna). This study aims to analyze the meaning of wadhribuhunna through a review of classical to contemporary scholars, sort out the meaning based on the rules of fiqh choosing a lighter mudharat, and apply it in modern household life with a theoretical approach of Symbolic Interaction. The results of the analysis show that the most strict mufasir groups, such as Al-Biqa'i, Wahbah al-Zuhaili, Hamka, Rashid Riḍā, and M. Quraish Shihab, emphasize symbolic and educational understanding of the word "hit", so that the risk of physical and psychological harm can be minimized. The application of this symbolic meaning is in harmony with the principle of benefit, encourages healthy communication, and strengthens household harmony. The Symbolic Interactionism approach emphasizes that the meaning of the verse is formed through social interaction, individual reflection, and negotiation of moral values, so that symbolic interpretation becomes an effective preventive strategy against domestic violence.

ABSTRACT In 2023, 861,576 Asians, predominantly of immigrant backgrounds, resided in Aotearoa New Zealand, forming the third-largest ethnic group. Despite their demographic significance, many continue to face socio-economic marginalisation. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, intensifying anxiety and incidents of anti-Asian racism. This study explored Asian immigrants’ experiences during the pandemic and its impact on their quality of life. Grounded in symbolic interactionism, the study analysed semi-structured interviews with 26 participants from the Chinese, Indian, Filipino, and Korean communities – the four largest Asian groups in Aotearoa New Zealand. Thematic analysis identified four key themes: Turbulence in re-established life, The normalisation of abnormality, Navigating a virtual realm, and Chinese-targeted racism. These themes encapsulate how participants reconfigured their lives in response to pandemic-related restrictions that profoundly disrupted their daily routines, generating anxiety and uncertainty. To adapt, they strategically turned to virtual platforms to sustain essential occupations and social connections. Notably, North-East Asian participants experienced additional burdens due to Chinese-targeted racism, resulting in occupational deprivation, diminished self-esteem, and weakened societal belonging. By embedding individual experiences within socio-cultural contexts, the study highlights the complex interplay between occupation and broader societal factors, particularly during periods of crisis.

BackgroundPatient experience in the emergency department (ED) encompasses different aspects of care, such as respect, communication, timeliness, shared decision-making, and care transition. The inherently stressful ED environment presents additional challenges for providers in ensuring a positive patient experience. Studying patient experience allows health systems to recognize areas of care that need improvement and introduce strategies to improve patient-centred care.ObjectivesTo explore the patient experience of emergency department care in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada.MethodsThis qualitative study collected data from patients who visited two urban and two rural EDs in NL via telephone surveys and semi-structured interviews. Five researchers used a theoretical framework, symbolic interactionism, to analyze open-ended survey responses and semi-structured interviews. Patient research partners were consulted to ensure the themes reflected their lived experiences.ResultsA total of 836 responses were analyzed (831 survey responses, five semi-structured interviews), leading to six key themes on patient experience. They are: (1) Mutual respect and trust in providers, (2) Timeliness of care, (3) Communication, (4) Comfort and accommodations, (5) Information sharing and decision-making, and (6) Continuity of care.ConclusionOur findings show an immediate need to improve the patient experience of ED care and highlight areas within these themes that could be targeted for improvement. We recommend regular training programs for healthcare providers to improve their interpersonal skills, the addition of patient navigators, and modifications to the triage system for vulnerable populations to improve patient experience and provide patient-centred care.

This study examines how non-conventional communicative performances construct perceived authenticity in TikTok endorsement content. Using Krippendorff’s qualitative content analysis, the study analyzes verbal and non-verbal communication strategies in high-engagement endorsement videos produced by the Indonesian influencer Tante Lala. Findings indicate that regional dialects, heightened vocal intensity, and theatrical kinesics function as symbolic resources that negotiate authenticity and intimacy with audiences. These communicative performances blur the boundaries between commercial persuasion and interpersonal interaction, generating parasocial relationships that enhance persuasive effectiveness. The study contributes to symbolic interactionism by demonstrating how authenticity in influencer marketing is socially constructed through continuous symbolic negotiation in digital environments.

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.

Emergence of the self in danger zone tourism: A symbolic interactionist perspective

This study explores the profound impact of teacher personality competence on student character formation through a descriptive narrative lens grounded in the sociology of education. Education is not merely a technical transfer of knowledge but a complex social process where the teacher acts as a pivotal moral agent and role model. By synthesizing classical sociological paradigms—Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism—with contemporary empirical evidence, this article argues that a teacher's personality is a dynamic social construct that shapes the "hidden curriculum" and the overall school climate. The narrative analysis reveals that traits such as empathy, integrity, and social justice are not just individual attributes but essential tools for moral socialization and the internalization of collective values. The study finds that teachers who embody these virtues foster a sense of social belonging and ethical responsibility in students, effectively bridging the gap between individual identity and societal expectations. The article concludes that strengthening teacher personality competence is a strategic imperative for developing a resilient and morally grounded generation, recommending integrated professional development that emphasizes the teacher's role as a moral authority in the 21st-century social landscape.

“Follow, follow the sun…” drifts through countless travel videos, its melody accompanying moments of movement and stillness that typify contemporary youth tourism. This study uses such mediated scenes to reconceptualise symbolic interactionism for digital societies by reworking Goffman’s dramaturgical lens as ambient dramaturgy. It argues that the moral drama of recognition now unfolds within algorithmic and aesthetic infrastructures that structure visibility, belonging, and self-presentation. Performances are increasingly infrastructured rather than situational, audiences ambient rather than co-present, and authenticity reflexively orchestrated rather than withdrawn. The framework reframes leisure as a moral and symbolic field in which youth travelers negotiate identity under persistent connectivity, balancing creativity with conformity and intimacy with surveillance. Extending Goffman’s concern with dignity and face into the algorithmic domain, the article positions tourism as a microcosm of late-modern life where movement, memory, and moral visibility define the conditions of leisure.

This study aims to understand the implementation of digital wellness in social media usage as a preventive measure against online harassment among Generation Z. The research employs a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method to explore the in-depth experiences of five informants—active university students and social media users who have encountered online harassment. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using the Colaizzi method to identify key themes. The results reveal five significant findings: social media usage patterns among Generation Z, their experiences with online harassment, the meaning of digital symbols in online interactions, the digital wellness strategies implemented, and how digital wellness is understood as a form of harassment prevention. These findings indicate that the experience of online harassment triggers awareness and preventive actions through digital wellness practices, including strategies such as digital detox, account selection, privacy settings, and the removal of specific applications. Theoretically, this study contributes to enriching the study of symbolic interactionism by linking the meaning of digital symbols to experiences of online harassment. Practically, it provides an overview of digital wellness strategies that Generation Z can implement to maintain a balance in social media use and prevent the recurrence of online harassment in the digital space.

The rise of online gambling in Indonesia has led to a serious addiction crisis, exposing the limitations of formal institutions in addressing the issue. This study explores symbolic interaction in the “Stop Judi Online” Telegram community and examines how members form new identities through these interactions. Using a qualitative netnographic approach under an interpretive phenomenological paradigm and symbolic interactionism theory, data were collected via participant observation, in-depth interviews, and digital documentation from members. Analysis involved triangulation and staged coding. The community has developed its own symbolic system with terms like “day-1,” “kapok,” and “reset,” which signal identity transformation. Member narratives follow a recurring three-phase cycle: fall, turning point, and recovery serving as a symbolic rehabilitation blueprint. Telegram’s anonymity enables a safe space for honest self-reconstruction. Symbolic interaction fosters identity change through shared meanings. The study suggests integrating this model into formal rehabilitation by adopting anonymity and peer-driven participation.

Career path selection among medical students represents a critical challenge in contemporary medical education, yet mechanisms linking environmental perceptions to career decisions remain theoretically underspecified. This study addresses the research question: How do value conflicts embedded in medical students' work environment quality perceptions influence their career development path selection through meaning construction processes? Adopting integrated phenomenological and symbolic interactionist theoretical frameworks, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese medical students (junior to second-year graduate levels, from three teaching hospitals across urban and rural regions) and 120-hour participant observation in clinical settings. Data were analyzed using phenomenological three-layer explication (noematic-noetic-temporal analysis) combined with thematic coding and constant comparative method, achieving theoretical saturation. Findings reveal: (1) Medical students' environmental perceptions constitute active meaning-making in their lifeworld, characterized by ideal-reality gaps, multidimensional intentional attribution, and temporal-contextual constitution; (2) Value conflicts emerge as social processes through symbolic interactions with mentors, patients, peers, and families, generating five coping strategies—compromise, persistence, integration, postponement, escape; (3) Career selection unfolds through five spiral-recursive stages—initial perception, reflective questioning, meaning negotiation, value integration, decision-action—with critical turning points catalyzing transitions; (4) Five career trajectories crystallize: clinical persistence, non-clinical shift, compromised adjustment, delayed decision, innovative integration, each following distinct meaning construction logic. This research contributes a mid-range theory explaining career choice as situated meaning synthesis, provides a methodological template for phenomenological-interactionist integration, and offers evidence-based recommendations for medical education reform prioritizing students' lifeworld experiences and symbolic interaction optimization.

The conflict surrounding the enforcement against street vendors (Pedagang Kaki Lima, PKL) on Jalan Permindo in Padang City began with the revocation of Padang Mayor’s Decree Number 438 of 2018 and the enactment of Padang Mayor’s Decree Number 644 of 2024 on Street Vendor Locations and Schedules, which removed the formal legality of Permindo street vendors without adequate socialization or relocation solutions. This study aimed to analyze the conflict over street vendor enforcement on Jalan Permindo resulting from changes in local government policy, focusing on the factors triggering the conflict, the dynamics of the conflict between street vendors and Satpol PP officers, and the impacts of enforcement on street vendors, regulatory officers, and the overall condition of the Permindo area. A qualitative approach with a descriptive–analytical design was employed, with data collected through interviews and documentation, and analyzed with reference to Randall Collins’s conflict theory. The findings show that the conflict over street vendor enforcement on Jalan Permindo constitutes a structural conflict triggered by policy changes enacted without effective communication and dialogue. Based on Randall Collins’s conflict theory, the conflict is shaped by ineffective symbolic interaction, power imbalances without meaningful participation of street vendors in decision-making, structural injustice in the relocation process, strong solidarity among street vendors, and divergent symbolic meanings of “order”—for the government—and “livelihood”—for the street vendors. The conflict has led to the loss of livelihoods for street vendors, disruption of public order, and a decline in economic activity in the Jalan Permindo area. These findings underscore that the design and implementation of street vendor enforcement policies must take into account structural justice, sustained communication, and meaningful participation of affected groups.