Interpretation pattern
In the sociology of knowledge , interpretation patterns are understood as meaning schemes that are remembered in the individual store of knowledge . As contexts of meaning, these schemes shape perception. In this way, the schemes reduce and structure the perceived environment of an individual . Only through this reduction will orientation, identity and action be possible. (Cf. In sociology and " pattern " ( "Pattern") or the pattern variable of Talcott Parsons .) The interpretation patterns used are concepts such as subjective theories , paradigm , thinking style , framing and mental models .
Term establishment by Alfred Schütz
The concept of the interpretation pattern goes back to Alfred Schütz . After contactor the everyday stock of knowledge sets (the personal living environment ) of typing experience and good solutions together. These schemes are “updated” in the experience: ie an object is recorded (perceived) as an example of a type class and at the same time its special characteristics are determined compared to the general type. Interconnected interpretive schemes form contexts of meaning and types that structure perception. In doing so, they suppress those possibilities of interpretation that are not relevant to the current situation of the individual.
Typifying interpretations are therefore selective, whereby the selection criteria are essentially socially determined, since they are acquired through social learning and related to social action problems. Experiences are always perceived and interpreted in the context of pre-formed contexts of meaning. (see also Gestalt theory )
Social patterns of interpretation
Complex, typifying problem solutions that develop on the basis of social and subjective-biographical interests can also be referred to as social patterns of interpretation . Social interpretation patterns form everyday theories that guide action and allow members of society to bring their social experiences into an overarching context of meaning. They have an identity-creating function that locates the individual in the social group to which they feel they belong. They also synthesize his individual biography with the social requirements for action.
Openness of interpretation patterns
The internal logic , consistency and congruence of the social patterns of interpretation ensure the maintenance of individual and social capacity to act . Interpretation patterns are nevertheless not to be understood as self-contained, formulated and prefabricated interpretation grids. It is true that they are implicitly given to every experience. In a current action situation, however, they always have to be "spelled out" first and individually differentiated in the specific curriculum vitae. They are open to changes, as the rules of interpretation and transfer in principle provide the opportunity for thematization, reflection and argumentative action .
Causes for changes in interpretation patterns
Since the typical and typically repeatable aspects of action are of particular interest in everyday life , and coping with routine situations requires “recipe knowledge”, the existing typifications are sufficient in many situations to carry out successful interpretations and actions. Only completely new experiences force a conscious rethinking of the interpretation schemes, their partial revision or restructuring and, under certain circumstances, the creation of new types.
Interpretation patterns as the cause of resistance to contradictions
Inconsistencies between the elements of the stock of knowledge, between the various patterns of interpretation, only become visible when confronted with an action problem that does not fit easily into existing schemes. In the “natural setting” ( Edmund Husserl ) there is generally no other motivation to theoretically bring all knowledge elements into agreement. This explains the resistance of everyday consciousness / knowledge to new ideas and theories, as well as, on the other hand, the crisis-ridden experience of identity changes in biographical transitions or through the influence of large amounts of new information and experiences that cannot be subsumed under the previous patterns of interpretation. (see also operational blindness , paradigm shift and blind spot )
Interpretation patterns in empirical social research / theory formation on interpretation patterns
Outlined for empirical analysis practice , the category “Interpretation Patterns” was established in 1973 through a manuscript by Ulrich Oevermann .
Immediately following Oevermann's manuscript, in the 1970s and early 1980s, a whole series of essays emerged in which the theoretical sketch was interpreted and supplemented in different ways. The theoretical discussions in those contributions were largely determined by the need to further develop the interpretation pattern concept.
The individual contributions from the 1990s, on the other hand, concentrate on summarizing the results of the older debate and placing them in a scientific-historical context. This debate was continued by an attempt by Oevermann to "update" his concept and a suggestion by Plaß and Schetsche, which responded immediately, to a more sociological foundation of interpretation pattern analysis.
That the social constructivism then, theoretical and methodological program Plaß and Schetsche includes a radical change of perspective: interpretation patterns is the subject-oriented schemes approach to shape category of social knowledge .
literature
- Schütz, Alfred : The meaningful structure of the social world. An Introduction to Understanding Sociology (1932). Frankfurt / Main 1974. ISBN 3-89669-748-X
- Dewe, Bernd : Social Interpretation Patterns . In: Kerber, H./Schmieder, A. (Ed.). Handbook of Sociology, Reinbek, 2nd edition 1996, ISBN 3-499-55407-0
- Oevermann, Ulrich (2001): To analyze the structure of social interpretation patterns (1973) In: Sozialer Sinn, Issue 1/2001, pp. 3-33. ISSN 1439-9326
- Oevermann, Ulrich (2001a): The structure of social patterns of interpretation. Attempt to update. In: Sozialer Sinn, Issue 1/2001, pp. 35–81. ISSN 1439-9326
- Lüders, Christian; Meuser, Michael (1997): Deutungsmusteranalyse In: Sozialwissenschaftliche Hermeneutik, Eds. Ronald Hitzler and Anne Honer , Opladen: Leske + Budrich, pp. 57–79. (2nd edition 2002) ISBN 3-8252-1885-6
- Meuser, Michael; Sackmann, Reinhold (1992): Introduction: Interpretation pattern approach and empirical sociology of knowledge In: Analyzes of social interpretation patterns. Contributions to the empirical sociology of knowledge, Eds. Michael Meuser and Reinhold Sackmann, Pfaffenweiler: Centaurus, pp. 9–37. ISBN 3-89085-626-8
- Plaß, Christine; Schetsche, Michael (2001): Fundamentals of a knowledge-sociological theory of social interpretation patterns In: Sozialer Sinn, Issue 3/2001, pp. 511-536. ISSN 1439-9326
- Kassner, Karsten (2003): Soziale Deutungsmuster - about current approaches to researching collective contexts of meaning, in: Geideck, Susan / Liebert, Wolf-Andreas (ed.): Sinnformeln. Linguistic and sociological analyzes of models, metaphors and other collective patterns of orientation, Berlin / New York: Walter de Gruyter, pp. 37–57. ISBN 3-11-017883-4
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Schütz, Alfred: The meaningful structure of the social world. An Introduction to Understanding Sociology (1932). Frankfurt / Main 1974. ISBN 3-89669-748-X
- ↑ Oevermann, Ulrich. "For the analysis of the structure of social patterns of interpretation, unpublished manuscript. Frankfurt a. M." (1973): 3-33.
- ↑ This manuscript was only made available to a broad specialist public three decades later (Oevermann 2001) through publication in a specialist journal
- ↑ Overview in: Plaß / Schetsche 2001
- ^ Arnold, Rolf. "Interpretation patterns. On the elements of meaning as well as the theoretical and methodological references of a term." Journal for Pedagogy 29.6 (1983): 893-912.
- ↑ typical: Meuser / Sackmann 1992, Lüders / Meuser 1997
- ↑ Oevermann 2001a
- ↑ Plaß and Schetsche (2001)
- ↑ see on this and on further recent work on interpretation pattern analysis also the comparative discussion in Kassner 2003