Walker and Avant (1995) propose a structured series of steps
for concept analysis, although their approach has been
criticized by Paley (1996), who suggests that the process by
which a concept’s ‘defining attributes’ are arrived at is, in
fact, arbitrary. Cahill (1996) points out that a linear
approach to concept analysis does not reflect intellectual
reality, in which a number of aspects of the analysis are
manipulated simultaneously. While it might be considered
that Walker and Avant’s (1995) approach is too rigid, aspects
of their approach are useful, as are those of Wilson (1966)
from whom they derived their model. Walker and Avant
(1995) suggest that selection of a concept is followed by
identification of as many uses of the concept as possible.
However, it is necessary to recognize the importance of
etymological derivations, which may help to distinguish
between homonyms. Interestingly, Walker and Avant, in
examining the concept ‘coping’, include uses derived from an
entirely different word. Etymologically, the word cope1 (‘1’
indicates primary meaning, as in ‘She coped with the
problem’) derives from the Latin colpus – a blow, via the
French couper – to cut. Its primary meaning of hitting or
cutting then produced secondary senses of contending with
and finally overcoming. It is etymologically quite distinct
from cope2 (‘2’ indicates secondary meaning) a priest’s cape
or vestment, from medieval Latin cappa (Steinmetz 1988,
Thompson 1993). For this reason, the concept ‘cope’ (as in
‘cope with a problem’) does not include senses of ‘cover’ or
‘protect’ – elements which are derived from cope2 and not
from cope1. The difference is important, as failure to
distinguish between two different words leads Walker and
Avant to put forward as a paradigm an instance which is, in
fact, entirely outside the range of the concept. In what
follows, the word ‘cope’ is used in the sense of cope1.