Smoking: A Short Summary And Analysis

3. Analysis and discussion

During the analysis, four main themes were identified as constructing the identity of the participants in relation to their decision about smoking. These are described below. More details are provided in the Appendix.

a) The individuality theme: I do it my way (different than others’)

The participants have repeatedly highlighted the fact that their decision was made (or is being maintained) in spite of what others do or expect from them, in particular their parents or friends. Thus, individuality was constructed as a way to make a difference compared to others.

Making a difference is depicted through factual references, e.g. “very anti-smoking” parents (Jane, 83) or even as a form of defiance: “we wanted to

The amount of discursive efforts that they deploy, for this purpose, may reflect the importance they attach to self-determination in the construct of their identity. For instance, Jane refers to the social context (going out, being with friends) very often, but insists on rejecting any suspicion of influence: “I think with me it was mainly my friends, but nobody, nobody ever like told me to do it” (50-51). Kylie adopts a similar position: “I don’t think the groups can make you smoke if you don’t really want to” (249-250). For Rosie, the main focus is on minimizing the influence of her parents: “I think they’ve been influential, but not, not the majority of influence” (112).

Another way of constructing the self-determination theme is by constructing the decision-making process in relation to smoking as an act of free will. This is best described by Jane: “if I want it, I want it, if I don’t, I don’t” (244). Kylie mentions that for her it was “smoke because I could” (156). Rosie, in her turn, depicts an exercise of free will based on knowledge: “I think my parents, what they do, they gave me the information so I can make my own mind up”