<p>Abstract</p><p>The aim of the research presented in this thesis is to study how interactional strategies are used by children and what these strategies mean or imply in the preschool cultural context. The theoretical point of departure in the study is the socio-cultural perspective (William Corsaro, Roger Säljö, Jim Wertsch). The study is a contribution to the field of research that focuses upon contextual issues and an overall way of seeing the child. This is in opposition to the strong traditional psychological perspective in the development of the child, where a focus upon the individual dominates in special education. This ethnographic study aims to answer the following research questions; What interactional strategies are co-constructed by the children in preschool play? How do the interactional strategies influence the creation of culture in preschool play? The children, 3-5 years olds, and their play situation were in focus. Participant observations and video recordings of preschool play constituted the empirical material. These were analysed through a “child perspective” to understand interactional strategies in a cultural context.</p><p>Detailed transcriptions, CA (Conversation Analysis, Per Linell) of the empirical material highlights that interactional strategies can be categorised under the following themes; Taking turns, Protecting play, Dividing roles, Understanding roles and Confirming play themes. These themes furthermore, give rise to three common central elements: Interaction space; the children create a common space to interact that they defend and protect; Role dividing is a starting point in interaction and is an important part in producing and reproducing play; Meaning-making, the children’s common play leads to interaction and the space and roles are safe and confirmed.</p><p>The results indicate that interaction includes verbal and nonverbal elements. The children’s use of artefacts’ plays an important role in the interaction, meaning-making and cultural expressions that they create and reproduce in the preschool context. Through these themes an explanatory model is presented with the aim of highlighting the strategies that influence the creation of culture. The explanatory model shows relationships between aspects of culture-making in children’s interaction. The use of artefacts in interactional strategies presented here influence and plays an important part in the common meaning-making and can therefore be seen as an expression of culture.</p><p>Key Words: Ethnographic study, Socio-cultural Perspective, Culture-making, Interactional Strategies, Artefacts’, Preschool play</p>

Abstract The aim of the research presented in this thesis is to study how interactional strategies are used by children and what these strategies mean or imply in the preschool cultural context. The theoretical point of departure in the study is the socio-cultural perspective (William Corsaro, Roger Säljö, Jim Wertsch). The study is a contribution to the field of research that focuses upon contextual issues and an overall way of seeing the child. This is in opposition to the strong traditional psychological perspective in the development of the child, where a focus upon the individual dominates in special education. This ethnographic study aims to answer the following research questions; What interactional strategies are co-constructed by the children in preschool play? How do the interactional strategies influence the creation of culture in preschool play? The children, 3-5 years olds, and their play situation were in focus. Participant observations and video recordings of preschool play constituted the empirical material. These were analysed through a “child perspective” to understand interactional strategies in a cultural context. Detailed transcriptions, CA (Conversation Analysis, Per Linell) of the empirical material highlights that interactional strategies can be categorised under the following themes; Taking turns, Protecting play, Dividing roles, Understanding roles and Confirming play themes. These themes furthermore, give rise to three common central elements: Interaction space; the children create a common space to interact that they defend and protect; Role dividing is a starting point in interaction and is an important part in producing and reproducing play; Meaning-making, the children’s common play leads to interaction and the space and roles are safe and confirmed. The results indicate that interaction includes verbal and nonverbal elements. The children’s use of artefacts’ plays an important role in the interaction, meaning-making and cultural expressions that they create and reproduce in the preschool context. Through these themes an explanatory model is presented with the aim of highlighting the strategies that influence the creation of culture. The explanatory model shows relationships between aspects of culture-making in children’s interaction. The use of artefacts in interactional strategies presented here influence and plays an important part in the common meaning-making and can therefore be seen as an expression of culture. Key Words: Ethnographic study, Socio-cultural Perspective, Culture-making, Interactional Strategies, Artefacts’, Preschool play