Sociology 2206A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Symbolic Interactionism, Antipositivism, Grounded Theory
13 Mar 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Interpretive researchers maintain that it is the role of the social scientists to grasp the subjective meanings of peoples actions: people act on the basis of meanings they attribute to their acts and to the acts of others. Interpret actions from the point of view of the actors: emphasis on empathetic understanding and approach and interpreting behavior, closely related to symbolic interactionism; humans are constantly interpreting the symbolic meaning of their environment. Ontological consideration: ontological camp: people who believe this side of the debate maintain there is such a thing as social scientists to discover reality. (organizations possess a reality external to individuals) Vs: constructionist position: people holding this view believe there are no facts, only interpretations, there is no objective social reality, e. g. Concepts people use to help them understand the world are social products whose meaning is constructed in and through social interaction.
