Why do people create stories about their lives? This research advocates for the greater use of 'accounts' as a concept in sociological analysis, emphasizing their significance in understanding how individuals experience and make sense of their social world. The concept has solid foundation in early sociological analysis and research. Focusing on “story-like” interpretations and explanations, the work explores their functions and consequences in a social actor's life. The accounts concept offers valuable insight into the human experience, revealing meanings and normative explanations embedded within culture. I argue that the approach is useful to researchers, since is set up a work resurgence on accounts in sociology. This argument calls for greater explicit attention to accounts within sociology, promoting further theoretical development and exploration of the concept’s potential in sociological research.
As a review appearing in the Annual Review of Sociology, this paper provides a synthesis of existing knowledge and advocates for a particular approach within the field. The subject is relevant to any sociologist that wants to improve their theoretical and empirical analyses. The concept of accounts could be useful for multiple sociology practices.