Interpretative Sociology

Max Weber is the main thinker in the interpretative sociology.  Weber is known for his anti-positivist approach.

Interpretation means to understand and same is the meaning of the word Verstehen which is a German Word which means "To Understand". 

Interpretative sociology (Verstehende Soziologie) is the study of society that concentrates on the meanings people associate to their social world.

Interpretative sociology strives to show that reality is constructed by people themselves in their daily lives.

Verstehen roughly translates to "meaningful understanding" or "putting yourself in the shoes of others to see things from their perspective." 

Interpretive sociology differs from positivist sociology in three ways:

1. Interpretive sociology deals with the meaning attached to behavior, unlike positivist sociology which focuses on action.
2. Interpretive sociology sees reality as being constructed by people, unlike positivist sociology which sees an objective reality "out there".
3. Interpretive sociology relies on qualitative data, unlike positivist sociology which tends to make use of quantitative data.