Tandem of Sociologist and Writer in Search of Social Harmony

Abstract

The literary method in sociology is an understudied topic. Sociologism as a method of an objective, purely scientific approach to social phenomena does not contradict the literary approach of analyzing the actions of individuals, which is characteristic of works of art. When analyzing a certain social phenomenon, a sociologist, along with documentary facts, can also use the literary method. According to researchers, writers act as a kind of "sociologists with a brush in their hands", i.e. as a sort of social artist. In this regard, arming the sociologist with the methods of artistic analysis gives him additional opportunities in revealing large-scale social phenomena.

In this article, the authors trace the points of contact in the depiction of the life of society and identify similar methods for analyzing social types and society on the example of analyzing the actions of the characters in F. Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot. According to the authors, the literary method could become a new approach in the field of analysis of many acute social problems of society. In this sense, the sociologist may have additional opportunities to reveal the mechanisms of social processes, armed with methods of artistic analysis.