n analyst to focus on a more microcosmic examination of the crisis.
Simmel's approach is refreshing in that it admits that the analyst cannot know everything one seeks in the social inquiry, especially unquestionable "laws" which explain the dynamics and processes of social intercourse: "For Simmel, society is made up of the interactions between and among, individuals, and the sociologist should study the patterns and forms of these associations, rather than quest after social laws." Simmel sees individuals as free actors, but not totally free from social forces: "They are nevertheless part of the socialization process and play a role in its continuation" (Farganis, 2000, p. 146).
Marx, on the other hand, sees the dynamics of social processes as more macrocosmic. He does not see individuals as free actors, but rather as pawns of the march of historical materialism. Freedom for individuals does not begin until consciousness is raised and revolution results from the conflict between the classes. At the heart of
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