Interpretivism: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept
Etymology
- Origin: The term “interpretivism” derives from the Latin verb interpretari, signifying “to explain, to translate, or to understand.” This etymology highlights the core focus of interpretivist approaches.
Meanings
Interpretivism holds nuanced meanings across disciplines. Two primary definitions are:
- Philosophy and Social Science:
- A methodological framework that prioritizes the interpretation of meaning, context, and lived experiences when analyzing human actions and social structures.
- Interpretivists posit that reality is socially constructed, necessitating the interpretation of actions, events, and underlying motivations for a holistic understanding.
- Legal Theory:
- A jurisprudential approach advocating for the identification of the intent or purpose behind statutes and legal texts, as opposed to a solely literal reading.
- Legal interpretivists consider historical context, societal norms, legislative history, and/or ethical principles in their interpretation of law.
Core Principles
The foundational principles of interpretivism include:
- Contestation of Objectivity: Interpretivism disputes the positivist notion of universal, objective truths ascertainable solely through scientific methods.
- Emphasis on Meaning and Interpretation: Interpretive approaches stress the centrality of subjective experiences, the construction of meaning, and the role of interpretation in shaping our comprehension of the human and legal world.
- Prioritization of Understanding: Interpretivists seek deep understanding of the complex motivations, values, beliefs, and intentions underlying human behavior and the social order, rather than focusing solely on causal explanations.
- Methodology: Interpretive methodologies tend to favor qualitative methods, including:
- Participant observation
- In-depth interviews
- Discourse analysis of texts and cultural artifacts
- Focus groups
Interpretivism: Definition of a Theoretical Term
Interpretivism is a theoretical approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding the subjective meanings and motivations behind human actions and social phenomena. Unlike positivism, which seeks objective and measurable truths, interpretivism recognizes that reality is socially constructed and requires interpretation to grasp its complexities. Interpretivist researchers often use qualitative methods to delve into the lived experiences, cultural contexts, and values that shape human behavior.
Interpretivism: Theorists, Works, and Arguments
| Theorist | Influential Works | Core Arguments |
| Max Weber | The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) | * Emphasized the role of cultural meanings, beliefs (like the Protestant work ethic), and values in shaping economic behavior and the rise of capitalism. <br> * Introduced the concept of Verstehen, the importance of empathetic understanding of human actions from the actor’s point of view. |
| Wilhelm Dilthey | Introduction to the Human Sciences (1883) | * Argued for a distinction between natural sciences (Naturwissenschaften) and human sciences (Geisteswissenschaften), requiring unique methodologies for understanding subjective experiences and social phenomena. <br> * Emphasized the importance of hermeneutics (the theory of interpretation) in understanding texts, historical events, and cultural artifacts. |
| Clifford Geertz | The Interpretation of Cultures (1973) | * Promoted the idea of culture as a system of symbols and meanings, decipherable through “thick description” (detailed interpretation of context and behavior). <br> * Argued that social reality is constructed like a text, requiring researchers to interpret layers of meaning. |
| Hans-Georg Gadamer | Truth and Method (1960) | * Developed philosophical hermeneutics, emphasizing the importance of tradition, prejudice, and dialogue in the interpretive process. <br> * Argued that understanding is always situated within a historical and cultural context and never truly objective. |
| Peter Winch | The Idea of a Social Science and its Relation to Philosophy (1958) | * Challenged the application of natural science models to social science, highlighting the importance of understanding rule-governed behavior and internal meanings held by social actors. <br> * Promoted the idea that social phenomena must be studied in their own terms. |
Interpretivism: Major Characteristics
- Rejection of Authorial Intent: Interpretivism often moves away from the idea of a single, definitive meaning embedded within a text by the author. Instead, it posits that meaning is created through the interaction between the reader and the text.
- Emphasis on Reader Response: The reader’s background, experiences, prejudices, and cultural context play a crucial role in shaping their interpretation of a literary work. The same text can elicit vastly different responses and meanings for different readers.
- Multiple Valid Interpretations: Interpretivism embraces the possibility that a text can hold multiple valid interpretations, even those that may seem contradictory. There is no single “correct” reading.
- Focus on Context: Literary meaning is not seen in isolation. Historical context, social norms of the time of writing, literary conventions, and even the reader’s own historical moment influence the understanding a text.
- Subjectivity of Meaning: The meaning derived from a text is considered subjective and influenced by the reader’s unique perspective.
Examples in Literary References:
- Reader-Response Criticism: This critical school focuses on the reader’s experience of a literary work and how their individual interpretations shape its meaning.
- Deconstruction: Deconstructionist readings often challenge the idea of a stable, unified meaning within a text. They highlight internal contradictions, ambiguities, and the ways in which a text might undermine its own apparent meaning.
- Cultural Studies: This field applies interpretivist approaches to analyze not just traditional literary texts but also “texts” of popular culture like film, television, music, and advertisements. It examines how these cultural products reflect and shape social values and power relations.
Interpretivism: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | Interpretivist Elements | Relevance |
| Reader-Response Criticism | Emphasizes the active role of the reader in constructing meaning. | Prioritizes individual reader experience and the multiplicity of possible interpretations. |
| New Historicism | Rejects the idea of an objective, unchanging text and considers how historical, social, and political contexts influence both the production and interpretation of literature. | Stresses the importance of understanding cultural conditions surrounding a work. |
| Feminist Criticism | Questions traditional interpretations of literature that privilege male perspectives and challenges underlying power structures in a text. | Highlights how gender, race, and other social factors influence readings. Promotes diverse perspectives. |
| Postcolonial Criticism | Examines how literature produced in both colonizing and colonized societies reflects or reinforces colonial power dynamics. | Emphasizes the importance of cultural context and the reader’s positionality in interpreting a work’s representation of marginalized groups. |
| Cultural Studies | Views all cultural artifacts, including literature, film, and popular culture, as texts constructed within social, historical, and political contexts open to interpretation. | Emphasizes subjective meaning-making and the interplay between texts and societal power structures. |
Interpretivism: Application in Critiques
· The Vanishing Half (Brit Bennett):
- Examination of complex themes of racial identity, passing, and the lingering consequences of historical racism.
- Exploration of how readers from different racial backgrounds might interpret the choices and experiences of the twin sisters.
- Analysis of how the novel’s structure, shifting between time periods and perspectives, shapes the reader’s understanding of the characters’ motivations.
· Piranesi (Susanna Clarke):
- Focus on the ambiguity of the text and the protagonist’s unreliable narration, inviting multiple interpretations of reality.
- Investigation of symbolic meanings in the labyrinthine world and the statues, and how they might reflect themes of memory, identity, and the nature of existence.
- Consideration of how the reader’s expectations of genre conventions are challenged, leading to unexpected readings.
· White Teeth (Zadie Smith):
- Exploration of multiculturalism, immigration, and the formation of hybrid identities in contemporary Britain.
- Analysis of how humor and satire are used to critique social structures and expose racial and class tensions.
- Consideration of how the novel’s multi-generational narrative and diverse characters offer a multifaceted perspective on history and belonging.
· Exit West (Mohsin Hamid):
- Focus on themes of displacement, migration, and the global refugee crisis, inviting readers to empathize with the characters’ experiences.
- Analysis of the use of magical realism and how it disrupts traditional narratives of migration, forcing readers to grapple with the realities of a borderless world.
- Examination of how the novel’s focus on love and human connection amidst upheaval offers a sense of hope and challenges bleak representations of refugees.
Interpretivism: Relevant Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Subjectivity | The recognition that understanding is influenced by individual perspectives, experiences, and biases. |
| Contextuality | The principle that meaning is embedded within historical, social, and cultural contexts. |
| Hermeneutics | The theory and practice of interpretation, especially as it relates to texts, actions, and cultural symbols. |
| Verstehen (German) | The concept of empathetic understanding, seeking to grasp the motivations and meanings from the actor’s point of view. |
| Reader-Response | A critical approach emphasizing the reader’s active role in constructing meaning from a text. |
| Thick Description | A detailed, contextualized interpretation of cultural behavior or artifacts to reveal embedded layers of meaning. |
| Polysemy | The capacity of a text, symbol, or action to contain multiple valid meanings. |
| Prejudices | Preconceived notions and assumptions that a reader or interpreter brings to their understanding, shaping their interpretive process. |
| Horizon of Understanding | The idea that our interpretation is limited by our historical and cultural situatedness, but through dialogue and encountering other perspectives, our horizon can expand. |
| Fusion of Horizons | The process within interpretation where the reader’s own perspective merges with that of the text or cultural artifact, leading to new understanding. |
Interpretivism: Suggested Readings
- Bevir, Mark. The Logic of the History of Ideas. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Bleicher, Josef. Contemporary Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics as Method, Philosophy and Critique. Routledge, 1980.
- Dilthey, Wilhelm. Selected Works, Volume 1: Introduction to the Human Sciences Edited by Rudolf Makkreel and Frithjof Rodi, Princeton University Press, 1989.
- Gadamer, Hans-Georg. Truth and Method. 2nd revised ed., Translation revised by Joel Weinsheimer and Donald G. Marshall, Continuum, 2004.
- Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books, 1973.
- Palmer, Richard E. Hermeneutics. Northwestern University Press, 1969.
- Rabinow, Paul and William M. Sullivan, editors. Interpretive Social Science: A Reader. University of California Press, 1979.
- Ricoeur, Paul. Hermeneutics and the Human Sciences. Edited and translated by John B. Thompson, Cambridge University Press, 1981.
- Schwandt, Thomas A. Interpretive Inquiry: A Research Methodology Approach. Sage Publications, 2007.
- Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Translated by Talcott Parsons, Dover Publications, 2003.
