The social history of an indonesian town by clifford. Hildred and clifford geertzs findings challenge the prevailing anthropological notion of a kinship system as an autonomous set of institutionalized social relationships. He contrasts his interpretation of engaging in deep play extremely high stakes activities with jeremy benthams famous earlier characterization of irrational behavior. Ethnographically fuller presentations of some of the data here summarized can be found in h. I discuss the issues thus produced, including the viability of states that are. This book has been composed in linotype baskerville princeton university press. Written with a rare combination of analysis and speculation, this comprehensive study of javanese religion is one of the few books on the religion of a nonwestern people which emphasizes variation and conflict in belief as well as similarity and harmony. Clifford james geertz 1926 2006 was an american anthropologist serving as professor emeritus at the institute for advanced study, princeton, new jersey. But said, who doles out praise rather rarely, also suggests that there have been a few exceptions, notably in the anthropology of clifford geertz, whose interest in islam is discrete and concrete enough to be animated by the specific societies and problems he studies and not by the rituals, preconceptions, and doctrines of orientalism.
The theatre state in nineteenthcentury bali wikipedia. His thinking on the interplay of economics and culture was most fully and vigorously expounded in agricultural. Clifford geertz human thought is consummately social. Dichtes verstehen als schritt zu einer begegnenden. At base, thinking is a public activityits natural habitat is the houseyard, the marketplace, and the town square. Original published in the journal of the royal asiatic society 1983, 1. Clifford geertz, an american anthropologist, is known for his studies of islam in indonesia and morocco and of the peasant economy of java. But he is also the leading exponent of an orientation in the social sciences called interpretation. Geertz opens with the claim that the interpretation of culture is semiotic in nature.
Combining great learning, interpretative originality, analytical sensitivity, and a charismatic prose style, clifford geertz has produced a lasting body of work with influence throughout the humanities and social sciences, and remains the foremost anthropologist in america. The social history of an indonesian town geertz, clifford. Notes on the balinese cockfight clifford geertz reprinted from the interpretation of. With the interpretation of cultures, the distinguished anthropologist clifford geertz developed the concept of thick description, and in so doing, he virtually rewrote the rules of his field. Geertz relates both the various events surrounding and the deeper cultural meaning of an example of popular culture, cockfighting on a south pacific island. Negara means country or seat of political authority in indonesian. Notes on the balinese cockfight, ethnographer clifford geertz documents his observations and conclusions about the role of balinese cockfighting in their society based on. The social history of an indonesian town by geertz, clifford. The aim of anthropology is the focus on all aspects of human physical, social, and cultural life and is illustrated in clifford geertzs essay deep play.
Drawing on his own background in philosophy and literary studies. Much of geertzs previous workincluding his worldfamous essay on the balinese cockfightcan be seen as leading up to the full portrait of the poetics of power that negara so vividly depicts. Reviewed by gregory bateson, oceanic institute, hawaii geertz here publishes a short essay on bali. August 23, 1926 october 30, 2006 was an american anthropologist who is remembered mostly for his strong support for and influence on the practice of symbolic anthropology, and who was considered for three decades. Geertz concludes that semiotics and symbolic action is the means for interpreting cultures effectively, since cultures are symbol systems, and actions are symbolic in of themselves. Clifford geertz, cultural anthropology by nanda quotes. As promised in an earlier post on clifford geertz, i will be posting a few reactions here to his essays in local knowledge. Share your thoughts on clifford geertz, cultural anthropology by nandas quotes with the community. Navy in world war ii 194345, geertz studied at antioch college, receiving a b. Navy in world war ii 194345, geertz studied at antioch college.
He served until his death as professor emeritus at. A wideranging look at the fascinatingly diverse syncretic melange of religion in java. The reader becomes aware of the intricacy and depth of javanese spiritual life and the problems of political and. The close and immediate interdependency between conceptions of person, time. What is a state if it is gathering, traithunting horizon. At the same time, i was hardly inclined to take a malthusian view, within which the whole matter reduced to a question of christian arithmetic. Geertzs influence is summed up by anthropologist sherry ortner, in the introduction to the fate of culture.
Clifford geertz was best known for his pioneering excursions into symbolic or interpretive anthropology, especially in relation to indonesia. Jun 02, 2012 as promised in an earlier post on clifford geertz, i will be posting a few reactions here to his essays in local knowledge. Geertz argued more forcefully in negara than in any of his other books for the fundamental importance of the culture of politics to a society. Olson clifford geertz says it all in one crisp, succinct sentence. Common sense as a cultural system by clifford geertz very early on in that album of notional games and abrupt metaphors he called philosophical investigations, wittgenstein compares language to a city. Clifford geertz 1926present is best known for his ethnographic studies of javanese culture java is an indonesian island south of borneo and for his writings about the interpretation of culture. Later chapters on the santri, more selfconsciously muslim, strain which is as much about political party organization as religious practice and prijaji, aristocratic mystic. File history click on a datetime to view the file as it appeared at that time. The most influential aspect of geertz s work has been his emphasis on the importance of the symbolic of systems of meaning as it relates to. Feb 12, 2009 below is a response to clifford geertzs deep play. The theatre state in nineteenthcentury bali is a 1980 book written by anthropologist clifford geertz. Kinship in bali, geertz, geertz university of chicago press. Essays in interpretive anthropology, basic books, new york, 1983, pp 59, clifford geertz writes, the concept of person is.
Chapter notes on the balinese cockfight the raid early in april of 1958, my wife and i arrived, malarial and diffident, in a balinese village we intended, as anthropologists, to study. Clifford geertz, cultural anthropology by nanda rate it. Parenthood, agegrading, and genealogical amnesia, journal of the royal anthropological institute 94 part 2 1964. The social history of an indonesian town by clifford geertz.
A few zealots persist in the old keytotheuni verse view of it. On the nature of anthropological understanding, from local knowledge. Inevitably the most interesting part to me was at the beginning, about the folk religion geertz calls the abangan strain. Deep at work in bali by definition, anthropology is the study of humanity and of human culture. This book is based on clifford geertz b1926 phd thesis, written between 19511952 and submitted in 1956. Essays in interpretive anthropology, basic books, new york, 1983, pp 59, clifford geertz writes, the concept of person isan. We were intruders, professional ones, and the villagers dealt. Toward an interpretive vii theory of culture 3 part ii chapter 21 the impact of the concept of culture on the concept of man 33 chapter 31 the growth of culture and the evolution of mind 55 part iii chapter 41 religion as a cultural system 87 chapter 51 ethos, world view, and the analysis of. Clifford geertz was popularly recognized as the founder of interpretive anthropology, and a profound theorist emphasizing the study of culture to be an interpretative one in search of meaning. A small place, about five hundred people, and relatively remote, it was its own world. Culture, geertz argues, does not drive human behavior. Contents preface part i 4 chapter 11 thick description. Notes on the balinese cockfight, ethnographer clifford geertz documents his observations and conclusions about the role of balinese cockfighting in their.
He is the author of many books, including islam observed and peddlars and princes and, with hildred geertz, kinship in bali all published by the university of chicago press. Notes on the balinese cockfight clifford geertz reprinted from the interpretation of cultures the raid early in april. The theatre state in nineteenth century bali, princeton, new jersey. In bali geertz found negara to be a theatre state, governed by rituals and symbols rather than by force. Their research in bali this work constitutes the first booklength examination of balinese kinship in english and an important theoretical analysis of the central ethnographic. Notes on the balinese cockfight the raid early in april of 1958, my wife and i arrived, malarial and diffident, in a balinese village we intended, as anthropologists, to study. For over three decades, geertz has been attempting to steer anthropological scholar. As in so many areas of anthropological concern, functionalism, either of the sociological sort associated with the name of radcliffebrown or of the socialpsychological sort associated with malinowski, has tended to dominate recent theoretical discussions of the role of religion in society. The balinese state did not specialize in tyranny, conquest, or effective administration. American economic association heidelberg university. Sahlins 1976a, it not only ranks up there with nature, society, humankind and even mind itself, but indeed encompasses all these. Less well recognised are his stimulating explorations of the modern economic history of indonesia.
Rather, it is a web of symbols that can help us better understand what that behavior means. Mar 06, 2016 clifford geertz was popularly recognized as the founder of interpretive anthropology, and a profound theorist emphasizing the study of culture to be an interpretative one in search of meaning. I certainly admire his effort to document the javanese culture and provide as most important sources into the understanding of javanese. Their research in bali suggests that kinship cannot be studied in isolation but must be perceived as a symbolic subsystem governed by ideas and beliefs unique to each culture. Im probably a closet rhetorician, although im coming out of the closet a bit. Excerpts from clifford geertzs religion as a cultural system. An analysis of the clifford geertzs essay deep play. Geertz deep play notes on the balinese cockfight clifford.
Arguably, his most groundbreaking and influential contributions to the academic world rest in the scholarly book he composed in 1973, titled the. Clifford geertz on ethnography and social construction gary a. Clifford geertz editors introduction it should not be surprising, after reading raymond williamss etymology of culture see p. For geertz, balinese is doing the interpreting interpretive anthropology that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, i take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning. Do not be troubled by the fact that some reduced languages he has just invented for didactic purposes consist only of imperatives. For culture, embodied in language and other symbols, is the condition for the possibility of thinking itself and so sets limits to the knowable world. Linder professor of social science at the institute for advanced study in princeton. Geertz, the anthropological understanding, and persons. This is a digital version of material made under licence from the rightsholder, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The interpretation of cultures selected essays by clifford geertz basic books, inc. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The noble rulers of the island were less interested in administering the lives of the balinese than in dramatizing their.
Clifford james geertz 1926 2006 was an american anthropologist serving as professor emeritus at the institute for advanced study, princeton, new jersey life after service in the u. Clifford geertz is one of the foremost figures in the reconfiguration of the boundary between the social sciences and the humanities for the second half of the twentieth century. His 1980 book negara analyzed the social organization of bali before it was colonized by the dutch in. What is a state if it is gathering, traithunting horizon in. Geertz argues that the precolonial balinese state was not a hydraulic bureaucracy nor an oriental despotism, but rather, an organized spectacle.
View notes geertz from ant 261 at north carolina state university. The most influential aspect of geertzs work has been his emphasis on the importance of the symbolic of systems of meaning as it relates to culture, cultural change, and the study. It is posted here for an assignment as part of com412. Clifford geertz 19262006 served on the faculty of the institute for advanced study in princeton, new jersey.
1180 743 1120 276 1266 1552 72 1338 564 942 482 822 184 879 1512 610 168 227 1552 1569 945 1075 953 732 956 1072 421 7 171 294 301 700 782 1476