Warren, I couldn't agree more. Your astute posting reminds me of the phrase "the power of the pen". I'm struck by the impact that the choice of what to call things - how things are "framed" - can have, in development as in all other aspects of human existence. In the field of medicine, for example, the use of acronymns and superspecialised terminology can be a tool (perhaps used by physicians unwittingly) to exclude, confuse, and/or disempower patients. It is useful to explore how language can define who "we" are and what pursuits we are engaged in, but let's not get too caught up in linguistics?
Naming, Framing, and Power
Warren, I couldn't agree more. Your astute posting reminds me of the phrase "the power of the pen". I'm struck by the impact that the choice of what to call things - how things are "framed" - can have, in development as in all other aspects of human existence. In the field of medicine, for example, the use of acronymns and superspecialised terminology can be a tool (perhaps used by physicians unwittingly) to exclude, confuse, and/or disempower patients. It is useful to explore how language can define who "we" are and what pursuits we are engaged in, but let's not get too caught up in linguistics?