▁expl ores ▁child ▁development ▁from ▁the ▁pers pect ives ▁of ▁social ▁psych ology ▁to ▁re - address ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁child hood . ▁He ▁recomm ends ▁a ▁new ▁definition ▁that ▁recogn izes ▁children ▁as ▁individuals ▁seeking ▁meaning ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁actions , ▁in ▁which ▁language ▁plays ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁self . ▁Den zin ▁demonstr ates ▁how ▁children ▁enter ▁into ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁sequ ential ▁development ▁that ▁leads ▁to ▁self - aw aren ess , ▁social ized ▁ab ilities ▁and ▁attributes ▁such ▁as ▁pride , ▁dign ity , ▁and ▁po ise . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁Inter pret ive ▁Inter action ism ▁( 1 9 8 9 ), ▁Den zin ▁provides ▁a ▁new ▁approach ▁to ▁qual itative ▁research ▁by ▁integr ating ▁symbol ic ▁interaction ism , ▁herm ene ut ics , ▁femin ism , ▁post - mod ern ism ▁and ▁critical - bi ographical ▁studies ▁with ▁qual itative ▁studies . ▁In ▁this ▁new ▁approach , ▁Den zin ▁gives ▁att ent ions ▁to ▁the ▁subject ive , ▁the ▁bi ographical , ▁and ▁experimental ▁voices . ▁Sub sequently , ▁auto eth n ography ▁and ▁performance ▁eth n ography ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁intellectual ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁Den zin ▁sens ed ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁symbol ic ▁interaction ist ▁inqu iry ▁by ▁incorpor ating ▁cultural ▁studies . ▁In ▁Symbol ic ▁Inter action ism ▁and ▁Cultural ▁Studies : ▁The ▁Polit ics ▁of ▁Inter pret