Abstract
“The definition of the situation, ” one of the legacies of the “monumental” The Polish Peasant in Europe and America by Thomas and Znaniecki, has been often taken as a concept which primarily refers to voluntaristic aspect of social action. Even a cursory review of the literature reveals, however, that “definition of the situation” has been frequently employed to denote influences of sociocultural “structure” on human actor and his actions.
This paper, through examination of the texts by Thomas and Znaniecki, shows that the seemingly nebulous usage of the concept indicates its potential as a “sensitizing concept.” Thomas, by assuming various definers and various situations to be defined, explored the complex relationship between “totality of influences” of the situations and human action. It seems that the concept can provide a foothold for bridging the gap between micro- and macro-sociologies. In attempting to do so, we should always keep in mind the cross-fertilization between theoretical as well as conceptual refinement and empirical research coupled with wholistic description.
