Clarifying ideas

1. Clarifying ideas 04

2. Questions for Chapter 4 How do context and purpose affect the quality of an interpretation? How much precision does a good interpretation require? How can I resolve problematic vagueness and ambiguity? What are language communities and am I a member of any?

3. A strong critical thinker interprets an item or process by considering the purpose and context that brought it into being… … for words, symbols, actions, events or images meaning emerges from purpose and context.

4. Questions a strong critical thinker asks about purpose and context in order to discover what something means: • In what social-cultural-historical context was an object or document created or authored? • What was the author’s purpose in creating it? • Who was the author’s intended audience? • What does the author believe the audience already knows?

5. Words Have Contexts Critical thinkers must interpret spoken and written communication carefully, paying attention to context and purpose, in order to determine if troublesome vagueness or ambiguity exists.

6. Problematic Vagueness The characteristic of a word or expression as having an imprecise meaning or unclear boundaries in a given context or for a given purpose “What do they mean by ‘equal?’”

7. What Do You Think? Describe circumstances in which the words, “animal,” “airport,” and “dependent” have problematic vagueness. In what contexts or for what purposes might other seemingly clear words turn out to be problematically vague?

8. Problematic Ambiguity The characteristic of a word or expression that refers to more than one object or has more than one (specific) meaning in a given context or for a given purpose “Does ‘it’ refer to shoplifting or to murder?”

9. Resolving problematic vagueness or problematic ambiguity requires: • Contextualizing • Clarifying intent • Negotiating • Qualifying • Stipulating

10. Contextualizing In order to interpret meaning, a strong critical thinker examines context by asking: Who said it to whom? When and where was it said? What was the topic of the conversation? Was the comment meant to be ironic, hyperbolic, misleading, or deceptive? Were technical terms, abbreviations, symbols, slang, code words, double entendre, euphemisms, or acronyms used?

11. Clarifying Intent In order to interpret meaning, a strong critical thinker clarifies intent by asking: What did the author really mean? Did she or he allow for multiple interpretations on purpose?

12. Negotiating In order to interpret meaning, a strong critical thinker negotiates meaning by seeking: Mutually acceptable definitions, conditions, or contexts A mutually agreed upon refinement in the definition that satisfies all the parties

13. Qualifying In order to interpret meaning, a strong critical thinker qualifies meaning through Restatements or additional information that describes, amplifies or clarifies the author’s original intent or context by adding greater detail or specificity

14. Stipulating In order to interpret meaning, a strong critical thinker stipulates meaning by asserting: A special definition, set of conditions, limitations or meanings that shall apply to the use of the term for a specific purpose or in a specific context

15. Language Community People who share an understanding of the meanings of the words and icons can be thought of as a community defined in part by its shared language

16. Examples of Varied Language Communities Wall Street traders in Manhattan Teenagers around Santa Monica Ethnic Poles in Chicago Gamers & geeks Ballet dancers & baseball players Members of academic disciplines e.g. political scientists, historians, mathematicians, pharmacists, sociologists, etc.

17. Donkey Cart Words What are donkey cart words? What are the four current, most commonly used donkey cart words? How do donkey cart words fracture a language community?