User:Marshallsumter/Dominant group/Genus differentia definition

From the Wikipedia article genus-differentia definition: "[a] genus-differentia definition is a type of intentional definition ... composed by two parts:
 * 1) a genus (or family): An existing definition that serves as a portion of the new definition; ... [and]
 * 2) the differentia: The portion of the new definition that is not provided by the genera."

The rules for definition by genus and differentia are in the Wikipedia article definition.

Notation
To help with definitions, their meanings and intents, there is the learning resource theory of definition.

Notation: Let the letters "Def." indicate that a definition is following.

Rules
From the Wikipedia article definition, "[c]ertain rules have traditionally been given for this particular type of definition. " which are
 * 1) "A definition must set out the essential attributes of the thing defined."
 * 2) "Definitions should avoid circularity. A definition of a term must not be comprised of terms which are synonymous with it.  This would be a circular definition, a circulus in definiendo."
 * 3) "The definition must not be too wide or too narrow.  It must be applicable to everything to which the defined term applies (i.e. not [leave] anything out), and to nothing else (i.e. ... include [more objects or entities] to which the defined term [applies]."
 * 4) "The definition must not be obscure. The purpose of a definition is to explain the meaning of a term which may be obscure or difficult, by the use of terms that are commonly understood and whose meaning is clear."
 * 5) "A definition should not be negative where it can be positive."

Dominant group
For the term "dominant group" there is
 * 1) the 2009 lexical definition of "dominant group" as "a social group that controls the value system and rewards in a particular society." which occurs in Mosby's Medical Dictionary and
 * 2) some as yet unfound lexical definition existing around or before 2005 which contains the phrase "need not be a numerical majority (although it often will be)." in a meaningful way.

The text from the 'meteors' article served to demonstrate that around 1958, some unfound lexical definition of "dominant group" contained "a numerical majority", but not necessarily the phrase "a social group".

Possible starting points for the exploration of genus-differentia definitions are
 * 1) "a social group",
 * 2) a group or "need not be [a social group] (although it often will be)",
 * 3) "a numerical majority", and
 * 4) a synonym for "need not be a numerical majority".

An initial objective might be some earlier definition that handles classes of use of the term "dominant group".

The first two possibilities have a shortcoming already present in the second two. This shortcoming has been described by Millet in the article entitled, "Defining the "Dominant Group"", in the journal of Canadian Ethnic Studies, specifically, the article "[t]races the evolution of the dominant group in Canada since 1931 by examining criteria for dominance that have evolved over time." Also of interest is that "the category of "dominant group" has unclear limits and varies from one geographical region to another."

Genus
Some attempts at a genus for "dominant group" may be


 * 1) a group that is a numerical majority within a region is called a dominant group.
 * 2) a group that is most numerous within a region is called a dominant group.
 * 3) a group that is in first place within a region is called a dominant group.

The second and third definitions allow for a majority among many as a special case, but not necessarily as a requirement.

While the most common usage of "most", "plurality", and "majority" is category "100. PLURALITY" for synonymy, a category that overlaps with "dominant" is "36. SUPERIORITY" which contains the phrase "first place".

A first genus then is "a first place group" or "a group in first place".

The phrase "first place" can be applied to almost every category of synonymy from "1. EXISTENCE" to "1040. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS". From Google scholar this phrase occurs in about 2,500,000 articles. On Wikipedia it occurs in 16,217 articles. This suggests that "first place" grants too much.

Differentia
The "differentia" become the criteria of ordering the groups such as by classes:


 * 1) numerousness (plurality to majority to all),
 * 2) violence (despotism),
 * 3) diffuseness (radiance),
 * 4) diversity,
 * 5) superiority,
 * 6) mastery,
 * 7) control,
 * 8) power, or
 * 9) influence.

Perhaps an approximate comparison of article popularity for these classes on Google scholar will shed some insight.

Genus differentia
Any of the far more popular genus classes require substantial differentia to bring the focus of meaning to perhaps within a factor of three in popularity (and perhaps intent by author) of "dominant group". Adding "dominance" into the focusing suggests that differentia very close to "171. INFLUENCE" in synonymy are needed.

Using a genus differentia "meta-term" such as "influential classification" may work unless the "scholarly popularity" is too restrictive.

Classification differentia
Using the popularity table below, a definition of "dominant group" could be a classification based on despotism, but this is too restrictive. On the other hand, a definition by classification based upon power alone grants too much.

Company differentia
Even a definition of "dominant group" using "company" and "despotism" at an article popularity of 49,100 appears to be too restrictive.

Def. a company using despotism against its competition is called a dominant group.

First place differentia
One useful advantage of the term "first place" is that it's author designated.

Def. a "first place" by "control" is called a dominant group. This definition grants way too much.

Group differentia
As suggested in the Google scholar "popularity" table above genus differentia below the traditional phrase "genus species" are too restrictive either in popularity or non technicalness. While other synonyms may alter the picture suggested above, terms such as category1 + category2, category1 + "group", and "dominant" + category2 may have neither "scholarly" popularity nor technicalness.

The genus term "group" seems to be an adequate starting point.

Grouping differentia
Def. a grouping by despotism is called a dominant group. With a popularity of 24,600, this definition is too restrictive.

Painting differentia
Def. a painting of power is called a dominant group. By a popularity of 1,770,000 to 68,900 (25.6 : 1), this definition grants too much.

Sect differentia
Def. a sect of influence is called a dominant group. But, such a sect is more than a dominant group. The definition grants too much.

Set differentia
Def. despotism by a set is called a dominant group. This definition is very similar in popularity to "dominant group", but as stated doesn't seem to make sense.

Size differentia
Def. the size of a radiation is called a dominant group. Here, the size of radiation is insufficient to restrict the meaning to comparable popularity.

Additional differentia
Additional differentia may take two forms: a category2 word modifying a category1 word, or a category1 word modifying a category2 word, where either of these becomes part of the already examined differentia.

For example, size influence could become group size influence.

Def. the influence of group size is called a dominant group.

Using another category2 could be whole arrangement control. The key is whether and how many additional differentia or connectivity of differentia are needed to reduce popularity while making sense.

Combined genus differentia
An 'assemblage arrangement' depends on context; i.e., is an assemblage reducing an arrangement of vice versa? In a more general sense this may be thought of as a population and a subpopulation, or a demographic and a subdemographic.

The combination of two 'group' relative synonyms and one 'dominant' relative synonym brings the popularity within the range of "dominant group" for the least popular genus and below with a combination of most and least popular genus.

Testing two 'dominant' relative synonyms with the most popular genus synonym requires much more focusing to bring the genus differentia within the popularity range of "dominant group".

A test of the least popular genus 'assemblage' may serve to bracket the two 'dominant' synonyms.

Although some popularity with the second 'dominant' relative synonym may grant too much or be too restrictive, others are close. Overall, this suggests that two or more 'dominant' relative synonyms are needed to bring the popularity within range of "dominant group".

It appears on the basis of relative popularity in word use that a genus differentia definition for "dominant group" is composed with one or more words from category1 (36, 171, 461, 462, 528, 670, 739, 747, and 996) and one to two words from category2 (60, 61, 74, 194, 572, 786, and 1018). Of some 1040 categories of synonymy, that leaves at least 1024 categories for words to compose meaning in other forms of definitions.

Dominant group/Classes includes classes such as 'majority', 'plurality', 'radiation' ('radiance'), and 'diversity' which have more common meanings that are in categories outside those for 'dominant' and 'group'. These are probably being used to compose definitions other than genus differentia, for example, theoretical definitions.

The apparent first use of the term "dominant group" by Darwin in 1859 likely involves a theoretical definition for the subject of evolution by natural selection.

Genera differentia definitions
Combining two genera with two differentia provide a series of definitions for dominant group.

Def. a superior class ruling a sect is called a dominant group. Here, the superiority of the class may be based on numerousness, but it need not be. And, the sect may have a location (a region or country) within which occurs the superior class. As the superior class rules the sect, it rules the region or location ("in their own countries", after Darwin) of the sect.

From the meteors example: "The dominant group in all cases are stony meteors." The superior class of stony meteors rules the sect of meteors.

The word superiority does not lend itself well to a verb form, but another synonym from the same category may suffice.

Def. a ruling class that excels its sect is called a dominant group. The ruling class of stony meteors excels the sect of meteors.

Def. a ruling class that transcends its sect is called a dominant group. This is another example. The ruling class of stony meteors transcends the sect of meteors.

Def. a class that rules superiority and the sect is called a dominant group. This is close to "a social group that controls the value system and rewards in a particular society." , the definition of "dominant group" that occurs in Mosby's Medical Dictionary. By reducing Mosby's definition to "a class (group) that controls the superiority (value system) and the sect (rewards, such as membership in the class)", the core meaning of "dominant group" is isolated. Adding the redundancy "social" and "a particular society" may not be needed to convey meaning but does add emphasis and places the meta-term into sociology.

The concept of a 'value system' (value, category 670) has 'most important' (category 670) in common synonymously with 'dominant' (category 670).

The overlap with "dominant group" indicates articles where "dominant group" also occurs, but more importantly indicates articles where relative synonymy in place of "dominant group" occurs. This suggests that relatively synonymous terms are being used instead of "dominant group" to convey the same or very similar meaning.

The meta-definitional concept may have a much greater popularity than "dominant group" itself.

An example of this contains "Syria's Ruling, Military Group" and "Causes for Its Dominance", in the title. "[T]he ruling element consists at its core of a close kinship group which draws strength simultaneously, but in decreasing intensity, from a tribe, a sect-class, and an ecologic-cultural division of the people." "[T]he core of the ruling element of Iraq also consists of a kinship group (closely related members of the Begat section of the Albui Nasir tribe); rests essentially on members of a minority sect (Sunni Arabs) and on country rather than city people (on middle and lower middle class families from the country towns of the Arab north-western part of Iraq". "[S]ince their rise to power, an upper class has been differentiating itself from the rest of the community and, within the ranks of this class, even a group of millionaires, waxing rich from fat commissions on state contracts, has reared its head." "[R]elevant as an explanation for the superior numerical weight of the 'Alawis, at least among the rank-and-file draftees, is the matter of the badal ("financial substitute")." The term "dominant group" does not occur in the article. "Dominant" occurs in "dominant families" and "dominant influence".

Testing small group study
Unless otherwise stated, the small group study designation such as "Economics" is placed at the beginning of the search stream, e.g., "economics class sect superior rules".

The first test in economics indicates that the "dominant group" definition using the genera differentia "class sect superior rules", not necessarily in any order, may not have usage close to that of "dominant group".

In the article cited following: "sect" is used as "section", sections of the article itself, "class" usually refers to a "class of test statistics", "superior" usually refers to a "superior predictive ability", and "rules" refers to "decision rules" or "trading rules". A definition of "dominant group" per preceding cited article may be

Def. a superior class [of test statistics] that [influences] [decision or trading rules] in a specific section [of the article] is called a dominant group.

Other definitions are likely. In the above article, the word "dominant" and the term "dominant group" did not occur.

A second article suggests some other situations. In the citation following, "class" refers to "A majority group, say, the workers, who control the policy might rationally choose to have a constitution which limits their power, say, to expropriate the wealth of the capitalist class.", "the class of feedback policy rules", and "[t]he most general class of decision policies"; "sect" refers to article sections again; "rules" refers to "policy rules" or "decision rules"; and "superior" refers to "Typically the iterative process of the policy rule change inducing investment function change inducing policy rule change, etc., did converge. Given that it converges, the limiting policy rule is consistent in the sense described in Sections I1 and IV. In all cases for which it did converge, we searched for and found linear feedback policy rules which were superior to this consistent rule, typically by a substantial amount." In this article "dominant group" does not occur but "dominant" does: "dominant player", "dominant firm", and "[f]or policy selection, the policymaker is dominant".

Here a "dominant group" definition is very similar to the above yet may be

Def. a superior class of [policy or decision] rules described in a section of the article is called a dominant group.

These two examples are closer to a genus differentia definition.