Operationalisation of Various Conceptions of the Emic-Etic Distinction

In a recently presented paper (Starr, 1984) the author examined various conceptions of the emic-etic distinction. The analysis laid bare various problems with some of these distinctions and discussed the inter-relationships among them. The examination also seemed to imply several major difficulties with attempts at measuring these various conceptions. The distinctions, in many cases, embody important epistemological concerns. Some of these concerns await clear concretisation in method. The measurement difficulties anticipated suggest that some of the attempts at making the issues concrete may be expected to fall short of the mark.