emic
EE-mik
/ˈiːmɪk/
Relating to or involving analysis of cultural phenomena from the perspective of the internal elements and logical system of a particular culture.
The 'insider's' view. It seeks to understand how the people themselves categorize their world.
The story behind the word. Coined by linguist Kenneth Pike in 1954. He took the end of the word 'phonemic' (which refers to sounds that are meaningful within a specific language) to create a general term for any internal cultural meaning.
Word relationships
- insider perspective: A more common, less technical way to say emic.
- etic: The outsider's perspective, using external categories.
Commonly confused with
- phonemic: Phonemic refers to the internal sounds of a specific language; emic is the broader cultural version of this concept.
Word family
- emically (adverb): From an insider's perspective.
Collocations
- emic perspective
- emic account
- emic data
- emic approach
Example sentences
- "The emic approach is an insider's view, focusing on the native's own categories and explanations." Anthropological theory (Kenneth Pike, Language in Relation to a Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior (1954))
- "An emic study of the festival would explain why the participants believe the rituals bring good luck." Cultural study
Memory hook
Emic has an 'm' like 'me'—it's how 'me' and my culture see things. Emic: The 'Me' (Insider) view.
When not to use
Do not use when describing universal scientific laws or external observations.
Fun facts
- The emic/etic distinction is one of the most famous conceptual 'exports' from linguistics to the social sciences.
Related words
Explore more words
phenomenology, epistemic, immersive, systemic, intrinsic, analytical
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