Scientistic Prejudice and Methodological Pluralism

Abstract

This paper aims to point out that the publication of the five volumes by Thomas and Znaniecki The Polish Peasant in Europe and America opened new scenarios, and gave its fundamental contribution in authorising a new way of conducting researches, which voluntarily distances from the ‘scientistic logic’ to recognise the heuristic-interpretative value of narration, though without denying the usefulness of the quantitative approach. That being stated, the specific purpose of this paper is twofold: focusing on the heuristic-interpretative value of narration while reconstructing, at the same time, the common thread that, starting from The Polish Peasant in Europe and America , connects apparently distant texts and authors stimulating a reflection on the development of empirical research and on its future.