Symbolic anthropology
| Anthropology |
|---|
|
Lists
|
|
Symbolic anthropology or, more broadly, symbolic and interpretive anthropology, is the study of cultural symbols and how those symbols can be interpreted to better understand a particular society. It is often viewed in contrast to cultural materialism. According to Clifford Geertz, "[b]elieving, with Max Weber, 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."[1]
Prominent symbolic anthropologists include Clifford Geertz, David Schneider, Victor Turner and Mary Douglas.
Key publications
- Geertz, Clifford (1973) The interpretation of cultures, Basic Books, New York
- Geertz, Clifford. (Ed.) (1974) Myth, symbol, and culture, W. W. Norton, New York
- Sahlins, Marshall (1976) Culture and practical reason, University of Chicago Press, Chicago
- Schneider, David (1968) American kinship: A cultural account. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey
- Turner, Victor (1967) The forest of symbols: Aspects of Ndembu ritual, Cornell University Press, Ithaca
- Turner, Victor (1974) Dramas, fields and metaphors: Symbolic action in human society, Cornell University Press, Ithaca
See also
References
- ↑ Geertz, Clifford (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures. Basic Books. p. 5.
External links
- "Symbolic and interpretive anthropologies", Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, retrieved March 13, 2013
- Culture and Public Action: Symbolic anthropology
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 4/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.