I like words and I keep befriending them––or rather they befriend me.
Today, I came across reify.
It refers to making something abstract more concrete.
For instance:
‘these instincts are, in man, reified as verbal constructs’
(Oxford Dictionaries)
The word chimes with a concept I use in my line of research: ascending from the abstract to the concrete (Davydov, 1990; Ilyenkov, 1982).
Ilyenkov
Davydov
I've always struggled with the concept.
It's used in organisational studies to indicate that when learning together, we have to understand an abstract notion, such as the basic structure and components of a work activity, and then reify it as practical tools, systems and concepts that can improve work practices.
Easier said than done.
Have a nice Friday!