The author describes phenomenological and interactionist approaches of an understanding field research, which can contribute to a socio-critical socio-pedagogical research practice. They come mainly from concepts of Anglo-American 'participating observation'. In his opinion, qualitative social research should capture and coherently explain both subjective individual perception and objective social processes as a system of action. For the researcher, the problem of the conflict between compassionate understanding for the observed and distanced explanation of the situation of action must be solved. (HD)