230043 SE SE Qualitative Methods: Biographical Analysis Based in Ideal Types (2015S)

Idealtypes are a central component of the social sciences' methodological foundation. Developed in the work of Simmel, Weber and Schütz, idealtypes became a tool for the constitutional analysis of social action. It gives a foundation to social action (first order observation) as well as methodical principles of qualitative research (second order observation). In the seminar we want to reflect on this theoretical context and exercise its use in empirical research. Ideal types have been developed to a significant degree in the work of Uta Gerhardt (medical sociology) and of Hans Göppinger (criminal sociology). These research programmes are paradigmatically for methods that reconstruct social types in a framework that is aware of the difference between the life world and the scientific meaning of ideal types. Students shall understant the conditions, principles and methodical procedures of qualitative research techniques in an idealtype frame of reference. The single case study approach and comparative analysis shall be trained.