Definition Of Culture Clifford Geertz

Following ryle geertz holds that anthropology s task is that of explaining cultures through thick description which specifies many details conceptual structures and meanings and which is opposed to thin description which is a factual account without any interpretation.

Definition of culture clifford geertz. In particular geertz is associated with heralding the interpretive turn in anthropology and steering the discipline or the sociocultural part of it at least away from research designs patterned on the natural sciences. Clifford james geertz ɡɜːrts listen. Is essentially a semioticone. The modern technical definition of culture as socially patterned human thought and behavior was originally proposed by the nineteenth century british anthropologist edward tylor.

In his seminal work the interpretation of cultures 1973 geertz outlined culture as a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life 1973 89. Clifford geertz has observed that anthropology is a science whose progress is marked less by a perfection of consensus than by a refinement of debate. Anthropologist clifford geertz 1926 2006 is a well known name within religion studies for his understanding of religion being a cultural system this he articulated in his essay religion as a cultural system 1966 where he examined anthropological approaches to religion. One of the key terms in clifford geertz s anthropological theory is that of thick description.

In attempting to lay out the various meanings attached to the word culture clifford geertz refers to the important anthropologicalwork clyde kluckhohn s mirror for man in which the following meanings are suggested. Culture according to geertz is a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life the function of culture is to impose meaning on the world and make it understandable. What gets better is the precision with which we vex each other. The concept of culture i espouse.