Clifford geertz deep play summary

Originally published in his book The Interpretation of Cultures in , the essay is today the most recognizable of the collection.

Clifford geertz works

Geertz wrote the essay on the heels of his fieldwork in Indonesia. During the s, he and his wife spent extensive time in Bali, engaging with the local culture. At the time, cockfighting was illegal, so Geertz and his wife were able to quickly bond with the locals because of their mutually shared secret. Noting how important the fights were to the local culture in Indonesia, Geertz was inspired to write the essay as a demonstration of a nuanced and complex society.

Indeed, the Balinese viewed their cockfights as symbolic and demonstrative of themselves as a people. Geertz was a prominent figure in the field of anthropology and became America's most renowned member of the field.

Clifford geertz theory of self

He pioneered the idea of analyzing a given culture through its own symbolism by translating and interpreting those symbols for academic purposes. Throughout his career, Geertz worked for the University of Chicago and Princeton and received honorary degrees from Harvard, the University of Chicago, and Cambridge. The Question and Answer section for Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How is the problem of 'entering the field' conceptualized by Geertz? How do the Balinese view the cockfight? Based upon his time in Bali during the s, Geertz writes about the cultural phenomenon of cockfighting. To the locals these fights represent an accumulation of status. Rival families, clans, and villages compete. They raise and care for their What is the meaning of money in relation to cockfight for the villagers?