MACRO
What is macro homology?
Macro homology refers to superficial sameness, usually on the larger scale (macro level) of the phenomena under consideration, more particularly to the matching exterior of instances being compared. Entities “look alike” or have an “identical feel” or match in which ever other sensory modality being used for observation. Coins from the same jurisdiction, of the same denomination and year, will usually exhibit macro homology between them, except in the rare case when two or more versions of the same coin are minted simultaneously, or a change in the design is introduced part way through a particular year of issue. Figurines from the same mould, painted in the same way, also display macro homology.
There will, of course, likely be minor differences, even between identical coins or figurines; so the variation in the standard of comparison must be settled so that those instances within the acceptable range of variation will “count” as identical, and those outside this range will not.
How is macro homology used?
The utility of a macro comparison occurs when the primary concern is only with the “look and feel” of the phenomena in question. If a person is looking at the colouring and size of figurines (or instances of any other standardized product), then differences in materials from which they were fashioned may not count against homology at all – if some are made of plastic and others of ceramic, but all have the same size and colouring, these two aspects may be enough for a judgment of macro homology. Even a set of ceramic figurines may, in fact, have been moulded from two slightly different mixes of ceramic paste, yet the finished products have macro homology because of their shape, size, and colouring. It all depends on the standards employed, and in judgments of macro homology the exterior or outward show is the focus.
In many cases of comparison in every-day life, crude or superficial macro standards are quite acceptable, because even “statistics is based on common sense” (Henkel, 1976, pg. 9). So when technical criteria are being employed (weight, size, temperature, etc.), the claim for identical instances, in only a very loose sense, may still be acceptable. This will hinge not on the exact characteristics of the phenomena being compared, but rather on the context of the comparison. The process of comparison and the judgment of “sameness” or “difference” are humanly contrived rather than naturally occurring. Therefore it would be appropriate to append all such matching with the phrase “for the purposes of this comparison…” – this is certainly the implicit qualifier that actually accompanies comparing.
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