This panel stands at the intersection of political theory, interpretive methods, and attempts to remake the world. Mundim and Billesbach make the case for interviews in political theory work, highlighting both what interview research can offer theorists and the barriers that keep the two approaches apart. Koenig too combines political theory and interpretivism, grounding a theory of representation in extensive movement fieldwork. Forrest reviews interpretive research on intersectionality, arguing that the specific merits of interpretive work can inform our attempts to build egalitarian movements. Stone returns to the classic interpretivist insight that language shapes reality, demonstrating how a discourse of oil "addiction" has shaped how Americans understand unsustainable energy use. Drawing on empirical insights from the Americas, all four papers explore the relationship between how we understand the world and how we try to change it.

Read more on APSA’s 2026 Online Program.