Question

Classical sociological theorist Max Weber insisted that sociologists should be value-free – analyzing society for what it is, rather than what it should be. Weber applied his term, Verstehen, when attempting to understand other people, meaning, he attempted to keep his own values out of the picture when attempting to assess them. How would practicing verstehen be helpful in your future education and employment?

Answer 1

Verstehen literally means understanding human nature empathetically. This phrase introduced by Marx Weber calls the sociologists to look beyond the material and cultural biases to understand the society, especially of other societies to which one doesn’t belong to. It’s all about overcoming assumptions, preconceived notions and hatred while assessing and analyzing another culture. Most of the time, if one doesn’t like a culture or society or one is unable to understand a culture or society, one might try to project that society as incompetent and its cultural practices as inappropriate. Marx Weber’s Verstehen makes more sense today as people across the globe move freely and work in different parts of the world along with people from different culture.

This basic understanding will help me project other cultures from their point of view. Wearing the shoes of other societies would help me understand and approach their society empathetically. It’s all about understanding and appreciating the differences between the societies. I would always take a fresh look at a society and people from that society in order to treat them and work with them cordially.