Sunday, December 26, 2010

In Relation

When a tree falls in the forest and no person is there to hear it, yes, it makes a sound. The sound is just the sound of a tree falling. There is no qualifying the sound. The sound is without the context and history of the listener.

Measuring any social quality is the same. We can say I am 38 based on the wear of my teeth, bones etc. but 38 is just an age signifying not much more than that. The meaning of 38 is derived when I am put in relationship to others. Within very specific social contexts 38 means different things. It is when I am juxtaposed within specific settings and in relation to what/who is around me that my age takes on a richer meaning.

When we study age, or any other social attribute, we have to take into consideration the experience of the individual studied within the context of their social surroundings. We have to come up with ways to relate those meanings in a fluid way that allows for flexibility in those meanings across different dimensions such as time or setting.

The language we choose, as the describer, equally signifies our own history and experience. To me, the sound of the tree falling will reflect all the other trees I have ever heard falling. Your description will necessarily differ from mine, even if very slightly, because we have not inhabited the same space. We have not had the same experiences.

No comments:

Post a Comment