definition of the situation


definition of the situation

a social situation as seen in the 'S ubjective’view of a particular social actor, group or subculture.

While not denying the importance of ‘objective’ factors in social life, the importance of taking account of the actor's definition of the situation in sociological analysis is summed up in the oft-quoted sociological aphorism: ‘If one defines a situation as real, then it is real in its consequences’ (W. I. Thomas, 1928).