> Every specialization has their own jargon to grok. True, but a more subtle observer might point out that the jargon can serve more than one function simultan

> Every specialization has their own jargon to grok. True, but a more subtle observer might point out that the jargon can serve more than one function simultaneously. In fields like organic chemistry which is famous for its compound names that sometimes extend beyond the page limit, the jargon is unavoidable, well defined and categorized, and serves a narrow and specific role (though true, learning that jargon would signal your competence within the field, so perhaps it's a dual one, where the secondary function is to serve as a barrier). In a number of other fields, specifically the social sciences (and even more specifically, the social sciences after they inhaled a large dose of Frankfurtian critical theory), the jargon serves a far more complex role of (1) naming a concept, (2) signaling to peers from other disciplines the "scienciness" of what could (sometimes justly) be criticized as a non-empirical field, and (3) signaling to peers from the same discipline the "political in-groupness" of the author, that is that the author shares their political beliefs. One could even argue there is a 4th role, where you subtly signal (to potential recruits from the student body): "See how much non-empiricism we can get away with? Join us, and you can get away with it too! Free degree, if only you agree!"