Elements of Understanding
The approach to understanding objects in the world was originally developed as an approach to linguistic analysis used by Kenneth and Evelyn Pike. The two main resources the Pikes developed to teach others how to use their approach were Grammatical Analysis and Linguistic Concepts. Although many linguists understand the Pikes' approach to be a method of linguistic analysis, I believe it is important to see that the holism of tagmemics operates in a very different way to the reductionism and abstraction of more traditional forms of analysis. (NB:What follows is presently a sort of template that I have students complete in order to engage in understanding something that interests them.)
Important concepts in regard to the elements:
Within each cell of the figure below, replace the questions below with your description of the item you are describing. Replace this entire paragraph with the item you are describing.
| Part: Who or What is being described? |
Place: Where and When is this item found? How important is it in its context? |
| Purpose: Why does this item exist? |
Power: How is this item related to other things in the world? |
Contents
Part
Place the summary written above in the cell with this name in this paragraph, and expand it as your understanding increases. Replace the questions below with descriptions of specific features of the item you are describing.
Identification
How do you recognise the item?
Variation
How much may the item change without changing into “something else”?
Place
Place the summary written above in the cell with this name in this paragraph, and expand it as your understanding increases. Replace the questions below with descriptions of specific features of the item you are describing.
Distribution
Where and when do you expect this item? Where and when do you expect not to find this item?
Prominence
Is this item the most important thing in its context?
Can this item be missing from its context without the context changing into “something else”? Explain.
Purpose
Place the summary written above in the cell with this name in this paragraph, and expand it as your understanding increases. Replace the questions below with descriptions of specific features of the item you are describing.
Goal
Does this item aid in accomplishing some larger task?
Results
Does this item cause unplanned or undesirable situations?
Power
Place the summary written above in the cell with this name in this paragraph, and expand it as your understanding increases. Replace the questions below with descriptions of specific features of the item you are describing.
Form
How does this item affect the form of other things in the world? How is this item’s form affected by other things in the world?
Occurrence
How does this item affect the occurrence of other things in the world? How is this item’s presence affected by other things in the world?
Order
How does this item affect the order of other things in the world? How is this item’s placment affected by other things in the world?
Meaning
How does this item affect how other things in the world are understood? How is this item’s significance affected by other things in the world?
