A collection of academical essays in which geertz, with trademark ironic wit, invites readers to meditate with him on the central puzzle and conundrum of the humanities and interpretive social sciences. List of books and articles about clifford geertz online. Geertz is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and scholarly awards, the author of twelve books, and the coauthor and editor of a number of others. It also publishes academic books and conference proceedings. Murphy 2 1 annenberg school for communication, university of pennsylvania, philadelphia, pa 191046220 2 department of mass communications, southern illinois university, edwardsville, il. This is a digital version of material made under licence from the rightsholder, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The interpretation of cultures by clifford geertz and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Ryle pointed out that if someone winks at us without a context, we dont.
Clifford geertz 19262006 was a professor at the institute for advanced study at princeton university, and a fellow of the american academy of arts and sciences, the american philosophical society, the national academy of sciences, and the american association for the advancement of science. Dear colleagueswith all the pitfalls of compiling such a list, here is the influential book list. Buy the interpretation of cultures basic books classics new ed by geertz, clifford isbn. One of the twentieth centurys most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture iswith 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. But geertzs abiding interest in the consequences of religion is a consistent thread in his many and varied studies of.
Geertz 1973a observed that humans are unfinished animals, set apart not just by our. That became geertzs bestknown book and established him not just as an indonesianist but also as an anthropological theorist. Clifford james geertz girts, 19262006, american cultural anthropologist, b. Clifford geertz books list of books by author clifford geertz. As robert segal 1998 correctly points out, books such as islam observed and local knowledge give greater attention to the impact of religion on the individual, while books such as religion of java stress its social functions. Social development and economic change in two indonesian towns by clifford geertz and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
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. Having called various sorts of spirits from the vasty deep, writes geertz, i thought it necessary to show that. Qualitative methods critique of clifford geertzs thick. The interpretation of cultures by clifford geertz, paperback.
The intellectual trajectories of social scientists robert n. Essential ethnographies and readings in anthropology in response to a request from the graduate students in our department for a list of the essential ethnographies and readings in anthropology, i asked the faculty to each nominate ethnographies and other books that they considered essential for anthropologists. Toward an interpretive theory of culture expounds upon the intricacies of ethnography. 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. Notes on the balinese cockfight, which appeared in his 1973 book, the interpretation of cultures, was a wideranging interpretation of how the people of bali saw themselves in relation to violence, social status, morality, and belief schudel, 2006. Human nature, presumably everywhere one and the same, comes to us only in its local varieties, as a bewildering diversity of languages, cultures, cultural practices, beliefs, mentalities. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Content pages of the encyclopedia of religion and social science.
Murphy 2 1 annenberg school for communication, university of pennsylvania, philadelphia, pa 191046220 2 department of mass communications, southern illinois university, edwardsville, il 620261775. Further essays in interpretive anthropology,1 picks up where his pathbreaking the interpretation of cultures2 left off. In this essay, he explains that he adopted the term thick description from philosopher gilbert ryle. In 1973, he published the interpretation of cultures, which collected essays geertz had published throughout the 1960s. Clifford geertz 19262006 the chronicle of higher education. A few zealots persist in the old keytotheuni verse view of it. Bellah and clifford geertz are compared as a case study in the production of successful interdisciplinary work. Culture, geertz argues, does not drive human behavior. The interpretation of cultures selected essays by clifford geertz basic books, inc.
Interpretation of cultures by clifford geertz abebooks. Geertzs influence has been particularly important in the interpretive aspect of his work geertz 1972, 1973, 1983, 1988, and his name is frequently associated with the foundations of the interpretative or critical anthropology for geertz and the hermeneutic. Adam kuper 1999 writes that reading his books and essays, one may trace the trajectory. Contemporary views department of comparative human. Geertz argues it makes more sense to observe cultural symbols that appear in public. Contents preface part i 4 chapter 11 thick description.
Geertz thick description clifford ceertz1973 thick. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Selected essays clifford geertz basic books, 1973 chapter i thick description. Anthropology as a natural science clifford geertz s extrinsic theory of the mind authors. Used books may not include companion materials, some shelf wear, may contain highlightingnotes, may not include cdrom or access codes. Having called various sorts of spirits from the vasty deep, writes geertz, i thought it necessary to show that at least some of them had come geertz 2000. Geertz talks about what it means to understand people with different cultural. Toward a theory of translocalism in global communication studies marwan m. But he is also the leading exponent of an orientation in the social sciences called interpretation. But as clifford geertz 1973a pointed out, while there are many instances in nature of. Notes on the balinese cockfight in the interpretation of cultures, basic books, 1973. Clifford geertz s most popular book is the interpretation of cultures. Aug 15, 2017 one of the twentieth centurys most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture is 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. View notes geertz thick description from anth 1002 at george washington university.
Geertz contends that it is the duty of the ethnographer to accurately decipher and objectively report cultural representations. Clifford geertz school of social science institute for advanced study princeton, nj 08540 june 8, 1988 after some yearsof publishing empirically oriented booksandarticles on java, bali, and morocco,which mostlyspecialists read, i collected in this volume the more theoreticallypointed ofthe articles and attemptedto explain theintellectual. Geertz for the award, the academys social science prize committee observed, each of these volumes is an important contribution in its own right. See all books authored by clifford geertz, including interpretation of cultures, and local knowledge. The anthropologist as author won the national book critics circle award in 1988. Further essays in interpretive anthropology, and more on. Geertz and bellah started from a similar position, in terms of scholarly habits, network centrality, and symbolic capital. The problem of explaining why the activity prevails is what geertz sets out to solve in the essay. Clifford geertz, cultural anthropologist, is dead at 80 by andrew l. In 1970, geertz left chicago to become professor of social science at the institute for advanced study in princeton, new jersey from 1970 to 2000, then as emeritus professor. It follows from this definition that, like science, religions seek to describe aspects of the world, though, unlike science, religions seek to describe not only contingent, empirical facts, but also the very nature of reality or the way things in their sheer actuality are 1973. Books by clifford geertz author of the interpretation of. Clifford geertz has 26 books on goodreads with 15352 ratings.
Toward an interpretive theory of culture i in her book, philosophy in a new key, susanne langer remarks that certain ideas burst upon the intellectual landscape with a tremendous force. Toward an interpretive theory of culture in her book philosophy in a. Buy a cheap copy of interpretation of cultures book by clifford geertz. In the last decade his work in the last decade his work included discussions of the relationship between anthropology and history 1990 a. Rather, it is a web of symbols that can help us better understand what that behavior means. In the interpretation of cultures, the most original anthropologist of his generation moved far beyond the traditional confines of his discipline to develop an. The interpretation of cultures basic books classics. One of the twentieth centurys most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture is 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, whose bestknown book is the interpretation of cultures basic books, 1973, insisted that the tools of literary criticism and interpretation. Clifford geertz, an american anthropologist, is known for his studies of islam in indonesia and morocco and of the peasant economy of java. Yarrow published on november 1, 2006 in the new york times geertz author page and archive from the. Clifford geertz 19262006 served on the faculty of the institute for advanced study in princeton, new jersey. Essential ethnographies and readings in anthropology.
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