ABSTRACT
Political sociology is the study of power in society. Interpretive political sociology is the study of how power in society is constructed and distributed through language and other symbols. It emphasizes how power relationships are negotiated through discourse and the subjective interpretations of that discourse by individuals. Rather than accepting institutional rules or political behaviour as the basis of organized power, interpretivists look towards the production of meaning as the key to understanding power in society. As such, interpretive theory in this field is grounded in constructivist, idealist, or post-foundational epistemologies. Empirical research brings out how power is embodied in discourse by focusing on the qualitative study of language, symbols, and culture, rather than institutional rules and quantitative accounts of preferences. Interpretive political sociology explains that the meanings produced by linguistic and symbolic exchanges involve power relations which shape societies, the identities of their members, and the mediated relations between them. It explains how power relations are formed through communication that makes political change meaningful. It also explains how language has a framing effect, contributing to the generation of lasting patterns of meaning, which are powerful forces upon society. Therefore, the production and interpretation of meanings spans both agency and structure. Interpretive political sociology is based on the idea that language is inherently amenable to different interpretations, which entails that stable meaning is an effect of power. Therefore, interpretive methods aim to problematize taken-for-granted reality. This normative dimension aims to open up new opportunities for social change through the agency made possible by interpretation.
