<P> 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 . </P> <P> 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: </P> <Ol> <Li> Interpretive sociology deals with the meaning attached to behavior, unlike positivist sociology which focuses on action . </Li> <Li> Interpretive sociology sees reality as being constructed by people, unlike positivist sociology which sees an objective reality "out there". </Li> <Li> Interpretive sociology relies on qualitative data, unlike positivist sociology which tends to make use of quantitative data . </Li> </Ol> <Li> Interpretive sociology deals with the meaning attached to behavior, unlike positivist sociology which focuses on action . </Li>

Sociology term for putting yourself in someone else's shoes