Displacement of Scope: A Problem of the Relationship Between Small-Scale and Large-Scale Sociological Theories

This paper deals with the ways in which some exponents of structural-functional orientations and interpretative-interactional approaches handle the problem inherent in the contrast between micro-and macrosociological concerns. Most authors assert that their theories fit both areas: they solve the problem by projecting a small-scale theory on the macrosociological screen, or vice versa. This "fallacy of displaced scope" is avoided by some theorists by assuming a dualistic position, and by others by with holding judgment. The author concludes that the problem of differentiated scope remains; it poses tasks which are much more complex than present-day theorists seem to realize.