Interpretivism
Definition
The view that human action has to be understood through the meaning actors themselves attach to it, which requires closeness to lived experience rather than external measurement alone.
Related terms
- Operationalisation
- The process of turning an abstract concept, such as fear of crime or recidivism, into a measurable variable with a stated procedure...
- Positivism
- The view that social phenomena, including crime, can be studied through observation, measurement and causal explanation in the manner of the natural...
- Reliability
- The extent to which a measurement procedure produces the same result when repeated under the same conditions or by a different researcher.
- Thick Description
- A detailed account of behaviour that includes its social and cultural context, so a reader understands the meaning of an act and...
- Validity
- The degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretation of test scores for a specific purpose; modern standards treat it as...