Clifford Geertz Books
Clifford Geertz (1926–2006) was an American anthropologist known for his influential work in symbolic and interpretive anthropology. He taught at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study, producing seminal works that shaped the understanding of culture as a system of meaning.
Known for: The Interpretation of Cultures
Books by Clifford Geertz
The Interpretation of Cultures
In this landmark work, anthropologist Clifford Geertz presents a collection of essays that redefine the study of culture. He argues that culture is a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms, through which people communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life. Geertz’s interpretive approach emphasizes the importance of understanding meaning within context, making this book foundational to modern cultural anthropology.
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Thick Description
The core of my interpretive method is what I call ‘thick description.’ I borrowed the phrase from the philosopher Gilbert Ryle, but I gave it a new disciplinary force. A wink and a twitch of the eye may look the same physically, but they differ profoundly in meaning. The difference lies in the conte...
From The Interpretation of Cultures
The Impact of the Concept of Culture on the Concept of Man
Human beings are incomplete creatures who complete themselves through culture. Evolution gave us the capacity for symbolic thought, but it is culture that provides the directions by which we act, feel, and think. The notion of ‘man’ thus cannot be understood apart from the symbolic frameworks within...
From The Interpretation of Cultures
About Clifford Geertz
Clifford Geertz (1926–2006) was an American anthropologist known for his influential work in symbolic and interpretive anthropology. He taught at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study, producing seminal works that shaped the understanding of culture as a system of meaning.
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Clifford Geertz (1926–2006) was an American anthropologist known for his influential work in symbolic and interpretive anthropology. He taught at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study, producing seminal works that shaped the understanding of culture as a system of meaning.
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