Sinn

From Geography

Sinn (translated as sense) is a term which Max Weber defined as the subjective meaning, intentions, goals and motives of social actions. So it is a individual view on why an action is taken. He used this term to understand society by understanding subjective aspects of interpersonal activities and/or actions. According to Weber, to understand this entering into the mind and feelings of the social actors is required. Sinn is a part of the feelings of social actors. Because of the fact that the capacity to attach meaning to something is characteristic to human beings, is creating insights in the meanings of social actors to act in a certain way critical for explaining social action. Sinn, or the actor's meaning attached to social action, is according to Max Weber, is typically also part of a larger set of meanings. This complex of meanings may consist of some local or regional context. So the social actions of people have to be seen in a context, which Weber calls 'Sinnzusammenhang' (Swedberg, 2005, p. 47).

References

Campbell, T. (1981). Seven theories of human society. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Swedberg, R. (2005). The Max Weber Dictionary, Key Words And Central Concepts. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Lecture about Max Weber

Contributors

• Page edited by Rens Mennen, 10th October 2012