El "Mètode biogràfic interpretatiu" : una eina per a la imaginació sociològica

Abstract

The main goal of this article is to present the use of the «Biographical Interpretative Method» (BIM) within the context of a sociological research carried out within the Department of Sociology at the UAB. Starting from the concept of «biography» as a significant field in the crossroad between social reality and experience, SOSTRIS (Social Strategies in Risk Societies) addresses how individuals from different European countries organise and give sense to their experiences (e.g. of social exclusion, inequality) in changing societal contexts. The applicability of this method within a European research can be considered as an innovative and experimental task. The article starts describing the theoretical and methodological principles of the BIM. Secondly, the procedures of analysis and interpretation are presented, followed by some references to how to present the cases and make sociological inferences. A final evaluation on the BIM is made on a double basis: the experience of the author in the SOSTRIS research, and the results of a parallel study of SOSTRIS.