ABSTRACT
The social world, according to the humanistically inclined, can only be understood subjectively. We have to know how things look from the point of view of those involved. Their ideas and intentions have to be appreciated. The emphasis on the subjective experiences of people discourages interest in society’s larger structural characteristics. Nevertheless, implicit in the paradigm is that social affairs are conducted in a regular and ordered manner. Human exchanges occur within the settled rhythms of a stable society.
