* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
One concept from chapter three of the textbook that I considered interesting is the notion of definition. What intrigues me the most about the notion of definition is what one takes in consideration before defining what/how things should be defined.
Trenholm (2008) claims that “definitions clarify concepts by indicating their boundaries” (p. 18). In addition to explain concepts, Trenholm mentions that “definitions also limit concepts” (p. 40). These two claims of definition are so true but so disturbing at the same time! Again, it comes to the fact that we live in a totally socially constructed 'reality'.
I could not help but think about how the definitions in the dictionary were chosen. Whoever makes the decision to pick a given definition to a word do so based on his or her social experiences. Hence, if his or her social experiences were absolutely different from mine, most likely I will refute some of his or her definitions.
One interesting example of an absolutely different social 'reality' would be the definition of the word cow for an Indian citizen and for an American citizen. For the Indian citizen, cow can not be anything else but God; for the American citizen, cow is simply a mammal. Who would dare to disagree with them? Clearly their definitions are solely based on the social experiences they had over the course of their lives.
Ibirapuera
W16 - Discussion Question # 3
16 years ago
I always like your posts. You always look past the obvious and read into things.. The discussion on how different words can mean different things to people of different cultural backgrounds is very interesting... Social experiences,religion, culture and other experiences effect how we view the world and our reality. Things that are important in my life may not be important to you.. It is interesting to think about. It just makes me more accepting of people different from myself. It is definitely good to think about where a person is coming from (not literally) before reacting or judging them..
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marikamania! :-)
ReplyDeleteI am glad you have been enjoying my posts.
Absolutely! Learning more about other cultures makes us to realize how huge the world is. There is so much beyond our own culture!!! We slowly start nurturing honesty appreciation for people with different cultural backgrounds.
Ibirapuera
Very insightful post! You know what I also think is interesting? How we have to define everything. I don't think an object is really just ever an object. In my comm 169 class this week we were discussing semiotics and the teacher ms. Morrison put up the equation: sign = signifier (the object itself) + signified (the meaning). Also, it is how we put all of these equations together that we come up with larger meanings. For our homework we had to analyze the movie Step Up and it was interesting to see that even though people were looking at the same signifiers, the meaning the attatched to it was always different.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Commeleon! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! :-) I never thought about our “obligation” to having to define everything.
No doubt humans attach different meanings to the same things given their absolutely diverse social experiences.
I am enjoying learning with you all! :)
Ibirapuera