The writing of sociology and its hermeneutic framework
Two processes, or forms of stylization, commonly used by sociologists are examined in this article : one is the narrative (or plot) ; the other is the ideal type. These processes are not unique to so-called interpretive sociologies even though they incorporate hermeneutical dimensions. The plotting and the creation of an ideal type, for example, are offshoots or extensions of the perceptions and personal understandings of social actors as they develop a narrative of what happens to them and typify their behaviours. Sociologists pick up from there, while maintaining a distance. Both processes can be used to highlight the moral and political issues facing the community being studied. These processes also help to explain the creation, as well as the freedom and reflexivity of social actors, and their work as interpreters, which implicitly endows them with a hermeneutic dimension. The article examines several examples to inform the discussion.