Select the correct name or term for what is being described here.

Patricia Hill Collins describes a troubling human practice as follows: “A problematic where subject/object gains meaning only in relation to its counterpart” (p. 70).

Question

Select the correct name or term for what is being described here.

Patricia Hill Collins describes a troubling human practice as follows: “A problematic where subject/object gains meaning only in relation to its counterpart” (p. 70).

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Binary thinking (also called binary opposition or dualism) names a pattern where one term in a pair is defined solely by contrast with its counterpart, and meaning is produced through that opposition.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Binary opposition: a structuralist idea (Saussure, Lévi-Strauss) where concepts gain meaning only in relation to an opposing term (e.g., male/female, black/white).  
- Power and hierarchy: in social theory, binaries often become hierarchical (one pole is normalized/privileged, the other marginalized).  
- Patricia Hill Collins’ frameworks: Collins critiques ways of thinking that produce and naturalize social hierarchies; she also develops intersectionality and matrix of domination as alternatives.

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- The quote emphasizes that a “subject/object gains meaning only in relation to its counterpart.” That is the defining feature of a binary: meanings arise from pairwise contrast rather than independent definition.  
- Collins calls this pattern problematic because it fixes identities and privileges one pole, which aligns with her critiques of hierarchical, oppositional thinking.

3. Intermediate logical steps (no numerical calculations required)
- Identify the pattern: mutual definition by contrast.  
- Match to terminology: “binary thinking” (or “binary opposition”/“dualism”) is the term that names exactly that pattern.  
- Exclude alternatives by their definitions (see next point).

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- “Binary thinking” precisely captures the idea of mutually constituted opposites producing meaning for each other; it is a standard term in critical theory and matches Collins’ critique of problematic oppositional categories.

5. Why other plausible terms are incorrect
- Intersectionality: describes overlapping systems of oppression (not simple mutual definition of two poles).  
- Matrix of domination: a structural model of power relations, broader than pairwise oppositions.  
- Essentialism: ascribes fixed essence to groups, but does not specifically denote meaning-only-by-contrast.  
- Othering: related but emphasizes exclusion/marking as different rather than the structural logic of mutual definition.

6. Conclusion
The description and Collins’ critique point to “Binary thinking” (binary opposition) as the correct term. This confirms the provided answer: Binary thinking.

Select the correct name or term for what is being described here. Patricia Hill Collins describes a troubling human practice as follows: “A problematic where subject/object gains meaning only in relation to its counterpart” (p. 70).单项选择题

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