Loading...
Gunning Down the Fog: A Test of the Unintelligibility and Illiteracy Hypotheses
Whitt, Hugh P. Creech, James C.
Whitt, Hugh P.
Creech, James C.
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Sociologists have often been criticized for their inability to make themselves understood. Talcott Parsons, in particular, has been singled out for his alleged incomprehensibility. As a consequence, his name has achieved legendary stature for more than his theoretical contributions. The present inquiry examines Parsons' writing style using the Gunning fog index of readability, finding that Parsons was indeed unintelligible as a writer. Moreover, it was discovered, serendipitously, that a postive feedback loop was operating (i.e., with one exception, Parsons became more unintelligible with each new book).
Description
Date
1983-04-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Sociology, University of Kansas
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Citation
Mid-American Review of Sociology, Volume 8, Number 1 (SPRING, 1983), pp. 39-49 http://dx.doi.org/10.17161/STR.1808.4931