The Index of the Interesting

Wow your audiences with your theoretical verve!

• Davis, Murray S. 1971. "That's Interesting: Towards a Phenomenology of Sociology and a Sociology of Phenomenology." Philosophy of the Social Sciences 1(4): 309-344.

The Characterizations of a Single Phenomenon

Organization

• What seems to be a disorganized (unstructured) phenomenon is in reality an organized (structured) phenomenon.
• What seems to be an organized (structured) phenomenon is in reality a disorganized (unstructured) phenomenon

Composition

• What seem to be assorted heterogeneous phenomena are in reality composed of a single element
• What seems to be a single phenomenon is in reality composed of assorted heterogeneous elements

Abstraction

• What seems to be an individual phenomenon is in reality a holistic phenomenon
• What seems to be a holistic phenomenon is in reality an individual phenomenon

Generalization

• What seems to be a local phenomenon is in reality a general phenomenon
• What seems to be a general phenomenon is in reality a local phenomenon

Stabilization

• What seems to be a stable and unchanging phenomenon is in reality an unstable and changing phenomenon
• What seems to be an unstable and changing phenomenon is in reality a stable and unchanging phenomenon

Function

• What seems to be a phenomenon that functions ineffectively as a means for the attainment of an end is in reality a phenomenon that functions effectively
• What seems to be a phenomenon that functions effectively as a means for the attainment of an end is in reality a phenomenon that functions ineffectively

Evaluation

• What seems to be a bad phenomenon is in reality a good phenomenon
• What seems to be a good phenomenon is in reality a bad phenomenon

The Relations Among Multiple Phenomena

Co-relation

• What seem to be unrelated (independent) phenomena are in reality correlated (interdependent) phenomena
• What seems to be related (interdependent phenomena are in reality uncorrelated (independent) phenomena

Co-existence

• What seem to be phenomena which can exist together are in reality phenomena which cannot exist together
• What seem to be phenomena which cannot exist together are in reality phenomena which can exist together

Co-variation

• What seems to be a positive co-variation between phenomena is in reality a negative co-variation between phenomena
• What seems to be a negative co-variation between phenomena is in reality a positive co-variation between phenomena
• What seems to be a continuous (incremental) co-variation between phenomena is in reality a discontinuous (discrete) co-variation.
• What seems to be a linear co-variation between phenomena is in reality a curvilinear co-variation

Opposition

• What seem to be similar (nearly identical) phenomena are in reality opposite phenomena
• What seems to be opposite phenomena are in reality similar (nearly identical) phenomena

Causation

• What seems to be the independent phenomenon (variable) in a causal relation is in reality the dependent phenomenon (variable).
• What seems to be the dependent phenomenon (variable) in a causal relation is in reality the independent phenomenon (variable).
• What seems to be a simple one way causal relation between phenomena is actually a complex mutual interaction between phenomena.