Die Arbeitslosen von Marienthal

This work, first published in 1933, is a foundational and justificatory text of sociographic research. Its aim was to use modern survey methods to gain an understanding of the psychological situation of an unemployed population in Marienthal, Lower Austria. Two tasks needed to be addressed - one substantive: to contribute material to the problem of unemployment, and one methodological: to comprehensively represent a socio-psychological fact. After a lengthy preparation phase, the research group spent several weeks in Marienthal. The material collected there, including results from interviews, reports from affected individuals and community officials, diary notes, letters, observation protocols, and statistical data, was reviewed, evaluated, and analyzed in joint working sessions of the researchers. This ultimately resulted in a comprehensive outcome.