The term “relationalism” covers a variety of positions that emphasize the importance
of some sort of relation in sociological theory or research. Many of these positions
are ontological, but there are also epistemological and purely methodological relationalisms.
Although they do not constitute a single unified school of thought, there are certain
family resemblances between these positions, and there have been attempts to collaborate,
even to start a movement for relationalism in sociology. Due to the many differences
between the various positions, a few subgroups can be distinguished within relationalism.