The Interpretation Of CulturesOne of the twentieth century's 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. Culture, Geertz argues, does not drive human behavior. Rather, it is a web of symbols that can help us better understand what that behavior means. A thick description explains not only the behavior, but the context in which it occurs, and to describe something thickly, Geertz argues, is the fundamental role of the anthropologist. Named one of the 100 most important books published since World War II by the Times Literary Supplement, The Interpretation of Cultures transformed how we think about others' cultures and our own. This definitive edition, with a foreword by Robert Darnton, remains an essential book for anthropologists, historians, and anyone else seeking to better understand human cultures. |
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Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Contents
Thick Description Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture | 3 |
PART II | 31 |
The Impact of the Concept of Culture on the Concept of Man | 33 |
The Growth of Culture and the Evolution of Mind | 55 |
PART III | 85 |
Religion As a Cultural System | 87 |
Ethos World View and the Analysis of Sacred Symbols | 126 |
Ritual and Social Change A Javanese Example | 142 |
After the Revolution The Fate of Nationalism in the New States | 234 |
The Integrative Revolution Primordial Sentiments and Civil Politics in the New States | 255 |
The Politics of Meaning | 311 |
Politics Past Politics Present Some Notes on the Uses of Anthropology in Understanding the New States | 327 |
The Cerebral Savage On the Work of Claude LeviStrauss | 345 |
Person Time and Conduct in Bali | 360 |
Deep Play Notes on the Balinese Cockfight | 412 |
Acknowledgments | 455 |
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Common terms and phrases
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The Interpretation Of Cultures Alexander Street anthropology Anthropology online Basic Books Classics Basic book-s Volume 5019 of Harper colophon books Volume 5043 of Harper torchbooks |
| Author | Clifford Geertz |
| Editor | Basic Books |
| Contributors | American Council of Learned Societies, Anthropology Online |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Basic Books, 1973 |
| ISBN | 0465097197, 9780465097197 |
| Length | 470 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Historiography Literary Criticism / Semiotics & Theory Philosophy / Hermeneutics Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social Social Science / Sociology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |