Irony as a methodological theory: a sketch of four sociological variations

Abstract

A peculiar method often used in sociological practice – methodological irony – is discussed in the present paper. The idea of the method is that sociologist substitutes everyday world of actor for the world of objective possibilities, which are available only to sociological investigation. Finally with the help of this method sociologists get a specific representation of social reality corresponding to their methodological preferences. Authors identify four variations of methodological irony: transformation of the frame of reference, enrichment of the everyday, the decipherment of meaning, moral reversals.