The Defintion of Definition

Quote from one of my favourite blogs, Beat The Press,

'As I have pointed out endlessly, NAFTA did not free all trade -- Mexican professionals still face substantial obstacles to working in the United States, so the deal did not free trade in professional services. It also increased protectionism in the form of copyright and patent protection. So, let's save space and trees -- just refer to a "trade" agenda.'

Right, North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is not a free trade agreement in a sense that not all trades in North America are completely free. BUT by saying that a million times it is a free trade agreement, the general public will believe that they have free trade within North America, or at least believe that the terms as stated in the agreement can already be regarded as free trade.

This is a social phenomenon called, 'social constructivism'. Many terms often used are not objectively defined. Unlike physical objects like, a pen, or paper, most of the terms used in social sciences cannot easily be defined. What is accounting? What is jounalism? Everybody might think they know what these terms mean. However, their definitions can be hijacked by interested parties to re-create a society and influence people behaviour, espeically when the public thinks those terms are objectively defined and act accordingly.

For example, accounting equation suggests 'revenue - expense = profit and profit the bigger, the better'. Because accounting, in the broadest sense, means tracing responsibility for individual behaviour, a good project proven by the accounting equation will unavoidably become a project regareded as responsibility being already fully traced (i.e. accounted for). Nonetheless, this is only the case if 1) private revenue and expenses are the sole consideration and 2) environmetal and social impacts of the business on the society value nothing --- an entirely capitalism idea. As such underlying assumptions are never explained, followers of such accounting equation are turned into capitalists without themselves knowing that. Such equation (or any other principles), after used by many in the society, eventually turns itself into a social norm and the society converts itself into a capitalist societly unconsicously (and maybe unwillingly).

Thus, by simply defining social terms, norms can be created to benefit certain social groups. In the 'free trade' case, professionals whose jobs are protected by NAFTA and politicians who gain their support are benefited as long as the general public believes trade is free within North America and never challenged that notion.

Think again when you think you really know what a social term means.