Reflexivity is the ‘unknown soldier’ of social science: hats are doffed to it but nothing is done to establish its identity. However, ‘unknown soldiers’ represent the unknowable, their anonymity is their identity and, if their names could be inscribed on cenotaphs, other ‘unknowns’ would replace them to memorialise nameless sacrifices. This makes sense, whilst failing to get to know about reflexivity does not. Hence the oddity of the last chapter, where disagreements about ‘reflexivity's biography’ went deep without the nature of reflexivity becoming clear.

This book is a contemporary investigation of reflexivity in action. The present chapter examines preliminary questions. Firstly, what is internal conversation? Is it simply external conversation, minus the sound? Secondly, does it play a part in determining the courses of action undertaken by normal members of society? If so, does it help them define what they care about most and what they could do to realise it? Thirdly, what goes on during reflexive inner dialogue? Is it much the same in form and content for everybody and can this be established one way or the other? Fourthly, does the nature of self-talk differ with social origins and make a difference to social outcomes? Fifthly, because a nail is needed on which to hang the discussion, do our reflexive deliberations influence our occupational positions? If that is the case, does internal conversation also affect the pattern of social mobility characterising our life courses?