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The vagueness of the concepts employed in the study of social phenomena has often been blamed for its backward statem & it cannot be doubted that there is a connection between general backwardness & the vagueness of the concepts, but it is entirely wrong to imagine that we should or could clear up the terminological confusion first, & then proceed to cultivate the science. It follows that terminological confusion cannot be dispelled by convening committees to legislate on the matter, but only by adjusting & inventing terms whilst constructing theories which genuinely explain real events. Terminological confusion is just an aspect of the general lack of understanding, & for this reason, definitions given in dictionaries of sociological terms can inform merely about how people use these terms, without providing much guidance on how they ought to be used. The incentives to create a terminological fog in the study of human affairs stem from the inescapable fact that it seldom pays (in the most literal sense of this word) to tell the truth in such matters. Playing safe, most people frequently resort to ambiguity & obfuscation no matter whether they are telling the truth or deliberate lies. Obscurity, moreover, can be a source of power & income, as can be seen from the example of legal language, which is clearly the product of striving to make it incomprehensible to the uninitiated, so as to compel them to rely on the expensive services of lawyers. The power of words to evoke emotions provides a standing & irresistible temptation to twist their original meanings in order to obtain desired reactions. Prompted by this motive, advertisers, journalists & many other kinds of writers aggravate the confusion by their incessant sensationalism which has robbed so many words of their meanings. For these reasons terminological discussion remains necessary as a kind of interminable cleaning or weeding, without which our understanding will not only grow but will diminish with time; as, indeed, it already has in some ways. Under the impact of the aforementioned baneful influences, combined with sensationalism on the part of very many practitioners of the social sciences, desirous to pass their inept disquisitions for great discoveries, the study of human affairs has become befogged by a smoke screen of nebulous & pretentious verbiage. Modified AA.

"Ethnic classification is the process of establishing standards for the characterization of ethnic group composition and identifying their ethnonyms. According to relevant conclusions of archaeology and historical, cultural and linguistic materials of various ethnic groups in ancient literature, the ethnic names and ethnic compositions are identified by certain ethnic groups in different parts of ancient China. The geographic regions where ethnic groups developed served as the spatial scope, and the timeline of Chinese historical periods and dynasties served as the temporal sequences for this study. The book examines the relationship between the culture of the Neolithic Age and the early people's community, and then analyzes the ethnic groups mentioned in historical literature and their cultural relationships. In addition, according to different historical periods, the names of ethnic groups appearing in each region are examined. The relationships between the names of these ethnic groups and related ethnic groups in the previous and the following historical periods are explored, and it is examined whether different national names in different periods were in the nationality shared intrinsic commonality. Therefore, these studies have used national ideology to guide ethnic identifications in ancient China. It shows how the Chinese people developed their civilization and eventually formed the great majority of today's ethnic communities on their own land"--

Between 1700 and 1950, a number of publications have indicated the changes that have occurred in the composition and real meaning of ethnic classification in Central America. The inference has been, most frequently, that such changes denote progress toward equality of opportunity for everyone irrespective of ethnic classification. Argues that this is only a small part of a complex process. Suggests that the 'compartmentalization' reflected in ethnic classification retains its original purpose. (AM)

After developing a classification of metropolitan areas, O. D. Duncan et al. (METROPOLIS AND REGION, Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins Press, 1960) noted that had the classification system "been available at the beginning...it would have been possible to explore inter-category diff's systematically in connection with each body of data analyzed." Precisely this type of analysis is conducted in this paper. The classification system is taken as given, & re-examination of the underlying variables is performed via multiple discriminant analysis, in an attempt to assess the extent to which they account for the classification in a more systematic sense. It is found that the variables most important in defining the signif discriminant functions largely substantiate the heavy reliance in METROPOLIS AND REGION upon certain variables as initial bases of classification. The results of this analysis also suggest that the multiple discriminant technique may be more generally useful in soc sci res than has presently been the case. AA.

ALTHOUGH TERMS SUCH AS ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, NORMS, OPINIONS, SENTIMENTS, VALUES, & VALUE-ORIENTATIONS ENJOY WIDESPREAD USAGE THROUGHOUT THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, THERE IS NO CORRESPONDING WIDESPREAD AGREEMENT AS TO HOW THESE CONCEPTS SHOULD BE DEFINED. THE PURPOSE HERE IS TO DISPEL THIS APPEARANCE OF CONCEPTUAL CONFUSION BY OFFERING A SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION OF OUTLOOK CONSTRUCTS THAT IS COMPATIBLE THROUGHOUT THE BEHAVIORAL DISCIPLINES. THE 3 THEMES OF HIERARCHY, TRIPARTITE DIVISION, & NORMATIVE-APPETITIVE STRUGGLE APPEAR UNIVERSALLY THROUGHOUT THE SOCIAL SCIENCES & PHILOSOPHY & THEIR SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION YIELDS A CONSISTENT, SYSTEMATIC TAXONOMY OF SUBJECTIVE CONCEPTS. 1 FIGURE. AA.

Publications concerned with terrorism are classified into the following categories: (a) general works & overviews; (b) effects on children & adolescents; (c) psychodynamic & other effects on adult victims; (d) crisis intervention; (e) emphasis on particular geographic locations; (f) specific forms (eg, nuclear, biological, chemical); (g) understanding & dealing with terrorists; & (h) interdisciplinary & special topics (eg, interfaces with politics, history, ethics). 241 References. Adapted from the source document.