Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg How meanings get words and social sciences get broken (with Literal Banana)
May 25, 2022
In this playful and insightful discussion, Literal Banana, a unique banana with a fascination for human social science, chats about the tricky nature of language and meanings. They explore how specialized jargon can both clarify and confuse social research. The conversation dives into the challenges of measuring abstract concepts like happiness and the complexities of survey design. With humor, they discuss the need for clearer definitions in sensitive topics like sexual assault and advocate for skepticism in existing research methods to foster meaningful change.
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How Meanings Get Words
- Meanings get words when a new concept or object requires a term for communication.
- This can lead to conceptual drift as meanings evolve, blurring the lines between similar concepts.
Jargon Examples
- Spencer Greenberg uses bouldering and mixed martial arts as examples of hobbies with specific jargon.
- Literal Banana explains yarn spinning terms like "diz" and "hackle" to illustrate jargon's practicality.
Words as Pointers and Ethnomethodology
- Words function as pointers, picking out aspects of reality for shared understanding, influenced by ethnomethodology.
- Ethnomethodology emphasizes understanding context by embedding oneself in a group and observing their methods.