Define Key Terms

Define Key Terms

Why is it important to define the key terms you are working with?
•	Key concepts such as democracy have been used in different ways in different contexts
•	Value terms such as successful are relative - it depends what you mean by "success"

If you need to say ‘It depends what you mean by ‘X’...’, then you need to define your terms.

Types of Definition

Working definitions

Possible or alternative definitions

Standard definitions

Dictionary definitions

Techniques of definition

Here are some specific ways in which we can define something.

•

Identify the class to which the subject belongs:

Marxism is a political theory ....

•

Cite its essential characteristics:

... which argues that social and political structures are determined by the economic base of ownership and control of production

•

Isolate the single most important characteristic or ‘motif’:

... underlying economic base...

•

Trace the word’s roots:

... named after the political theorist whose ideas it develops: Karl Marx.

•

Find synonyms or terms that are close in meaning:

... Marx(ism) has influenced many other socialist and communist thinkers, like Weber, Lenin, Trotsky and Gramsci.

•

Provide a specific illustration of how it is used:

... Marx(ism) has influenced philosophers and sociologists of education, language and religion, and also analysts of gender and cultural studies, etc.

TASK 1
Select 2 or 3 other key Social Science terms or concepts which you have had to define - or are likely to have to define - and practise defining them, using all these techniques of definition.

TASK 2 Defining for Sociology: Berger on ‘the Sociological Consciousness’
	Read this extract from Chapter 2 of Berger's book. It features explorations of the definitions of these terms:
		society, social, problem & ideology
	1)	identify and underline any expressions you find which introduce, or develop the definition of each of the terms [- society & social are done for you]
	2)	looking at Berger's exploration of each term, identify the definition that Berger seems to feel happiest with Comments
	3)	do you notice any patterns of language use or stylistic devices used by Berger to explore definitions of his key concepts?