Towards an Epistemological and Methodological Convergence: Symbolic Interactionism, interview, and focus group

Abstract

The fragmentation of qualitative methods limits a comprehensive understanding of the individual and collective dimensions of community knowledge and practices. This writing analyzes how the convergence of symbolic interactionism, the interview, and the focus group shapes an inter-epistemic strategy that integrates both dimensions, overcoming traditional dichotomies. This is a theoretical-analytical methodological discussion, based on a critical review of the literature, examining the epistemological foundations of symbolic interactionism and articulating them with the procedural phases of both techniques. The findings show that the interview allows access to subjective narratives and situated experiences, while the focus group enables the observation of the collective negotiation of meanings, consensus, disputes, and power dynamics emerging from social interaction. The articulation of both techniques, grounded in symbolic interactionism, coherently integrates individual and community dimensions, overcoming unidimensional approaches. In conclusion, this convergence constitutes a robust methodological framework that strengthens the theoretical and analytical rigor of qualitative research. Its practical implications point towards horizontal, reflective, and ethically situated research processes, relevant in multicultural contexts where it is necessary to recognize the plurality of rationalities and promote an ecology of knowledge, contributing to social transformation from within the communities themselves.