Sociology / Unit 1 Soc 0024 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Max Weber and *Verstehen*
Captions available
The idea
Max Weber argued social science must grasp the meaning people attach to their own actions — an approach known as verstehen, understanding, a concept he took up from Wilhelm Dilthey.
In practice
Counting how many attend a service misses why they came; the meaning of the act is part of the data.
Where people slip
Interpreting meaning is a method with rules, not a licence to guess.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for Sociology