Participation and engagement: Some possible challenges for research on early social interaction

The study of caregiver–child social interaction during infancy and the early years has expanded considerably over the last 30–40 years as a result of technological advances and associated methods of analysis. Through a consideration of recent research on the emergence of participation in social interaction, this paper considers whether sufficient attention is paid to the background presuppositions and assumptions underscoring contemporary approaches in the field. Following introductory comments on different aspects of three perspectives – child-focused conversation analysis; developmental social interaction; and psychosocial formulations – a number of issues, challenges and puzzles are highlighted through an examination of examples from recently presented research. Concluding comments focus on the value of seeking to ensure that the interdependencies between background theory, and data analysis and interpretation, remains a central focus for work on children and social interaction.