Children Constructing Social Reality: A Frame Analysis of Social Pretend Play

Social pretend play is interpreted as children's spontaneous co-construction of shared realities, and theoretical questions about the quality and varieties of these realities are raised. The discourse of three girls (ages 4:9 to 5:11) during an entire play session was coded in terms of its sense and reference and was analyzed as an instance of Goffman's concept of social frames. In contrast to the usual pretend-reality dichotomy, this analysis specified 13 reality modes, from deeply engrossed play action to nonplay interaction. The interweaving of the different modes carried the in-frame play theme to completion, even as personal concerns continually impelled the children's interactions partly or fully out-of-frame. From a constructivist developmental perspective, a theoretical view is advanced regarding the society-instituting function of pretend play.