Between Meaning and Mechanism: A Unified Approach to Social Phenomena

Abstract

Comprehension and explanation are frequently presented as opposing methods in the analysis of social phenomena, although there exists a functional relationship of complementarity between them. The understanding of the meaning attributed by actors to their own actions and the identification of causal mechanisms that govern collective behaviors are not mutually exclusive undertakings, but components of a more nuanced and more effective approach. Avoiding methodological extremes requires the articulation of the two perspectives within a coherent construct capable of reflecting the complexity of social reality. Such integration enables not only the clarification of individual motivations, but also the identification of interdependencies and regularities at the systemic level. The mixed approach is supported as a mature epistemological solution, offering a balanced framework for the understanding and analysis of the social fact. It is thus argued that the traditional divisions between quantitative-explanatory orientations and qualitative-comprehensive ones should be overcome in favor of a unified endeavor adapted to the specificity of the analyzed object. The integration of comprehension and explanation does not represent a concession between two epistemological camps, but a necessity imposed by the profoundly ambivalent nature of the social fact. The dynamics of human interactions, imbued with meaning but also structured by external constraints, cannot be reduced either to subjective interpretations or to impersonal causalities. An approach that combines them offers a more faithful perspective on reality, avoiding both relativism and determinism. Through the articulation of the two dimensions, analysis becomes more nuanced, allowing for the understanding of the motives behind actions and, at the same time, the investigation of the way in which these actions fit into broader social logics.