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Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 12:07:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Janice Tanche <tanche@unixg.ubc.ca>
Subject: big words
To: Socgrad <socgrad@ucsd.edu>
    A couple of years ago, Becker's Writing for Social Sciences was
required reading in a course I took.  The general consensus in the
class seemed to be any word with more than eight letters had no place
in academic papers.  Being a bit of a writer, I took offense to this 
and was soundly boxed about the ears for my position.  You would think
I would have learned, but I'm going to try again...
    I am willing to grant that some sociology is written with more 
attention to creating an appearance of expertise than anything else.
Such a presentation often attempts to cover for ill-thought content.
I don't waste time reading this type of sociology once I spot it.
Another problem I've noticed in sociology is that many sociologists are
very poor writers.  This sometimes makes our required reading boring, 
and other times, incomprehensible.  
     Fortunately there are lots of interesting sociologists who are
good writers and their well written papers and books (even if I have 
to look up a few words) are worth the effort required of a 
thoughtful reader.
     Granted, some sociology is becoming bogged down in jardon and 
getting a bit ridiculous (as is true of other disciplines), but as
I recall the message which inspired a request to abstain from the 
use of big words, the writer was using terms like "ideology", "meta-
physics", and "ontology".  Hopefully, as graduate students in sociology
we have put some time into considering what these concepts mean in
our own work and have enough understanding of them not to be intimi-
dated by them. 
     If the thoughts other graduate students put on this list are
thoughtful, I will appreciate to opportunity to consider them
regardless of the simplicity or complexity of their expression.  
If the writing shows some style, so much the better.  So, post
away!

Janice Tanche@unixg.ubc.ca