Cultural Meanings and Social Institutions: Social Organization Through Language

130 Pages·2019·1.967 MB·

by  David R. Heise

Cultural Meanings and
Social Institutions
Social Organization
Through Language
David R. Heise
Cultural Meanings and Social Institutions
David R. Heise
Cultural Meanings
and Social Institutions
Social Organization Through Language
David R. Heise
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, IN, USA
ISBN 978-3-030-03738-3 ISBN 978-3-030-03739-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03739-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018963060
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer
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To my wife Elsa once again,
and to my father, mother, and stepmother (all deceased),
and to my sister Bertie, my son Stephen, my grandson Joe, and my ex-wife
Margie.
Each was among my muses as I wrote this book.
C
ontents
1 Language and Social Institutions 1
Defining “Social Institution” 5
Plan of the Report 7
References 8
2 Analyzing Meanings of Identities 11
Oxford Dictionary 12
Collocates 13
Word Associations 14
References 15
3 Dictionary Meanings of Identities 17
Economy 26
Family 28
Religion 30
Polity 31
Law 33
Education 34
Medicine 35
Sports 35
Arts 36
Females 37
Race 38
vii
viii CONTENTS
Other Components 38
Science 39
References 40
4 Contextual Meanings of Identities 41
Economy 42
Family 51
Religion 52
Polity 53
Law 54
Education 55
Medicine 56
Sport 57
Arts 58
Travel 59
Quirks 59
Artifacts 60
Science 61
References 61
5 Associative Meanings of Identities 63
Economy 64
Family 71
Religion 72
Polity 72
Law 74
Education 74
Medicine 75
Sport 75
Arts 76
Other Clusters 77
Science 78
References 78
6 Types of Meaning Compared 79
Convergence of Methods 80
Other Issues 92
References 95
CONTENTS ix
7 Meanings and Institutional Domains 97
Meaning Analyses—Results, Problems, and Promise 98
Actuating Institutional Domains 109
Epilogue 116
References 116
Index 119
L t
ist of abLes
Table 3.1 27 rotated principal components based on correlations
of definitions of identities in Oxford dictionaries 18
Table 4.1 28 rotated principal components based on correlations
of collocates of identities in COCA (Davies 2008–) 43
Table 5.1 20 rotated principal components based on correlations
of word associations to identity words 65
Table 6.1 Overlapping results from three analyses of identity meanings 81
xi
CHAPTER 1
Language and Social Institutions
Abstract Classic writings propose that the macro-sociological phe-
nomenon of social institutions operate as individuals apply their cultural
knowledge of social institutions in their daily interactions. This book
focuses on proving that individuals indeed have the requisite knowledge
of social institutions. The research begins with a symbolic interaction-
ist idea, that language carries knowledge related to social interaction.
Then the empirical task is to show that knowledge of social institutions
is carried in language and thereby available to everyone who speaks the
language. As a preface for the empirical work in subsequent chapters,
conceptual clarification is offered regarding the meaning of “social insti-
tution.” To avoid confusion with other uses of “social institution,” this
book uses the term “institutional domain” when referring to a complex,
or multiple complexes, of standardized role integrates activated in stand-
ard contexts and having a strategic significance in the social system.
Keywords Social institution · Culture · Language · Knowledge
Societal functions are performed by people in interconnected roles
accomplishing standard actions within venues that have needed instru-
ments and supplies. Examples include families breakfasting, physicians
examining patients, lawyers conferring with clients, teachers querying
students, and clergy conducting funerals. An enculturated individual
© The Author(s) 2019 1
D. R. Heise, Cultural Meanings and Social Institutions,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03739-0_1