Social relations and friendships: pathways to study motive, motivation and subjectivity

This chapter focuses on González Rey’s theory of subjectivity in relation to motivation and motives. González Rey’s theory of subjectivity provides a framework for the study of friendship, as families with children transition to live in a new country. Analysis explores the subjective productions of children and adults through dialogue and actions, during the process of children becoming friends. Findings indicate that during a playdate, children’s shared motives and motivations are subjectively configured through suggesting and agreeing—these processes contribute to emotional engagement of each participant in relation. The social productions of adults, influences children’s development of social interactions and possibilities for children to become friends. Adults and teachers create social conditions for children, for example, a mother coaches her child about what to expect when entering new social situations, and a teacher groups children in academic activities to provide opportunities to interact with different class members in different situations. Friendship is a social production and the pathway involves subjectivity, motivations and shared motives, contributing to children’s learning and development.