부산대학교 도서관

The article focuses on the influence of German phenomenology on the formation of American sociology. The phrase 'adherents of phenomenological orientations' designates sociologists who consider it a relevant objective of sociological work to arrive at an interpretation of social phenomena from the point of view of the persons under study. This subjective approach first found systematic expression in Max Weber's sociology of understanding; by now, it is frequently combined with metasociological as well as methodological considerations drawn from phenomenology or existential philosophy. In order to gain an idea of the place which phenomenologically oriented sociologists occupy within the external structure of the discipline, a comparison was made of some of their surface characteristics with those of the membership of the American Sociological Association at large. A 4% sample of 420 sociologists was drawn from the adapted universe of the association as listed in the Directory for 1973-1974. Symbolic interaction theory is more closely related to phenomenological orientations than any other approach within American sociology. In fact, one variation of it blends well with sociology on a phenomenological basis. A comparison of the two groups, then, is of interest for the present inquiry.