What does problematize mean?
To problematize something is to treat it as a problem worth examining, especially by challenging an assumption that people ordinarily accept without thought. The verb is most at home in academic and critical writing, where a scholar might problematize a category, a theory, or a standard historical narrative by showing that it is less straightforward than it appears. The word does not simply mean to make something difficult; rather, it means to reveal the difficulty already hidden within something that seemed settled. Its connotation is analytical, and sometimes slightly jargon-laden, which is why critics occasionally prefer plainer verbs such as question or complicate. Formed from the adjective problematic with the verb-forming suffix -ize, it entered English in the twentieth century and spread widely in the humanities and social sciences. It is a useful word because it names a specific intellectual move: turning the obvious into a question. British writers often spell it problematise.
verbTo treat or regard something as a problem; to call into question an assumption, practice, or concept that is usually taken for granted, especially in academic or critical discussion.
- To make or treat something as problematic; to call into question or subject to critical scrutiny what is normally taken for granted.
- To make something more complicated or difficult by introducing complexities or doubts.
"The novel problematizes the idea of a single, authoritative narrator by letting three unreliable voices contradict one another."
"Recent scholarship has sought to problematize the traditional account of the industrial revolution as a sudden break with the past."
"The documentary problematizes our comfortable assumptions about charity by following where donated clothing actually ends up."
Popularized in academic writing partly through Michel Foucault's idea of 'problematization', the word turns an ordinary noun into a tool for questioning what everyone assumed was settled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does problematize come from?
Problematize is formed from problematic plus the suffix -ize, and it became established in English in the twentieth century. Problematic derives from Late Latin problematicus, from Greek problēmatikos, from problēma, meaning something put forward or a obstacle, itself from proballein, 'to throw forward'. Related words in English include problem and problematical.
Related word forms
How problematize is actually used
Chiefly found in academic, critical, and theoretical writing, especially in the humanities and social sciences. It is sometimes criticized as jargon, and in less formal contexts plainer verbs such as 'question' or 'complicate' are usually preferred. The British spelling 'problematise' is also common.
Easily confused with problematize
Problematic is an adjective meaning presenting difficulty or doubt, whereas problematize is a verb meaning to make or treat something as a problem.