Communication and Decision Making: A Symbolic Interaction Study of Choosing Agriculture as an Academic Program

Abstract

The interactions of the youth to their environment have defined their decisions to study agriculture. In this sense, communicative interactions of the youth were studied as the means to understand their decision-making process of selecting agriculture as their course in college.

This qualitative research employed the Symbolic Interactionism methodology of Blumer on six agriculture graduates: four males and two females. For the exploration, individual interview and focus group discussion were utilized. For the inspection, proceedings were transcribed, translated and analyzed by sensitizing of concepts and thematic analysis

Results showed that the individuals whom interaction have been significant for the youth upon agriculture selection are their families, teachers, agriculture students, friends and workers in agriculture. Selection of agriculture is a family decision as family members encourage the youth to study agriculture and have served as role models. Also, the academe is a catalyst for course selection of agriculture as teachers motivated the youth to study agriculture and offered scholarships in the agriculture course.

Meanwhile, interaction with agriculture students created pessimism on agriculture as it is viewed as the course of hard labor and grime and is for impolite students. Still, studying agriculture is a peer decision as the youth follow peer advices and decision of pursuing agriculture. Conversely, communication to workers in agriculture showed agriculture course as a means for a better life by means of government employment and a way to be rich.

Thus, the role of these communicative interactions of the youth with these people should be recognized as it defined the decision of the youth to study agriculture as their course in college.