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Micromethods as a Basis for Macrosociology

Microsociological research provides a crucial basis for any thorough macro-sociology. Total microreduction is not possible, but partial reduction is; all macrostructures can be translated into particular space, time, and number combinations of microprocesses. The basic microunit is the interactional situation, not the individual; social processes may be represented as chains of interaction rituals. Methodological innovations needed include a method of systematic microsampling of situations, both for description of the basis of macrostructures and for testing theories. Standardized measures of micro-situations may include recorded speech codes as a measure of cultural capital, emotional tones of spoken names as a measure of reputation, and voice tone, facial expression, or bodily posture as measures of emotional energies. One advantage of such techniques is that they may be unobtrusive measures.

Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Vol. 12, No. 2, 184-202 (1983)
DOI: 10.1177/0098303983012002004


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