This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Cf. E. Mokrzycki, Two Concepts of Humanistic Sociology, «The Polish Sociological Bulletin», No. 2, 1969.
T.Abel, The Operation Called Verstehen, in H.Feigl and M.Brodbeck (eds.), Readings in the Philosophy of Science, New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1953, pp. 678–9.
Note the following interpretations of Verstehen: T. Abel, op. cit.; H. P. Rickman, Understanding and the Human Studies, London, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1967; Q. Gibson, The Logic of Social Enquiry, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1960, Ch. V; D. Sztejnbarg, Understanding and Explanation in the Doctrines of Dilthey and Spranger, «Kwartalnik Psychologiczny», VII (1935); S. Nowak, Studies in the Methodology of the Social Sciences, Warsaw, 1965, Ch. IV; J. Kmita and L. Nowak, Studies in the Theoretical Foundations of the Science of Man, Poznań, 1968, Chp. V.
To avoid misunderstandings, which are frequent in the case of such formulations, it is to be emphasized that whenever reference is made to a person's situation, this means not only certain conditions in which the person actually is, but the totality of that person's characteristics, as we know them. There is, unfortunately, no fully adequate term to render this idea.
A definition of an indicator is to be found, for instance, is S. Nowak, Correlational, Definitional and Inferential Indicators in Social Research and Theory, «The Polish Sociological Bulletin», No. 2 (8), 1963.
S.Ossowski, On the Peculiarities of the Social Sciences, Warszawa, Polish Scientific Publishers, 1962, p. 235.
S. Nowak, Studies in the Methodology of the Social Sciences, cit.
G. R.Lundberg, Foundations of Sociology. Quoted after: M.Natanson (ed.), Philosophy of the Social Sciences, New York, Random House, 1963, p. 44.
G. R.Lundberg, Foundations of Sociology. Quoted after: M.Natanson (ed.), Philosophy of the Social Sciences, New York, Random House, 1963, p. 47.
The presence author attempted that, in part, in his paper The Choice of Indicators and the Requirement of the Empirical Nature of Natural Science Terms, «Studia Socjologiczne», No. 2 (9), 1963. Many arguments in support of that claim are to be found in S. Ossowski's book On the Peculiarities of the Social Sciences, cit.
A. Malewski, A Comment on the Discussion on the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, «Studia Socjologiczne», No. 2 (5), 1962.
Ibid., pp. 236–7.
An operationalization of a term, in the sociologists' jargon, is the same as an empirical interpretation of that term. This, as a rule, has nothing in common with that method of defining terms which has been advocated by P. W. Bridgman.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mokrzycki, E. The operation of “Verstehen”. Qual Quant 5, 339–352 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218987
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218987