Why fuzzy definitions are a problem in the social sciences
I’ve covered the field for Science News since 2019. It’s enough to drive this reporter to despair
![A single person stands in front of an entrance to a maze with tall walls](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/101822_sg_definitions-social-sciences_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
What constitutes a suburb, or the middle class? Social scientists often define these and other terms in markedly different ways, leading to a maze of confusing or contradictory findings.
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