The Interpretation Of Cultures

Clifford Geertz

Basic Books, 1973 - History - 470 pages

Frontmatter

Preface to the 2000 Edition

Preface

PART I
Chapter 1/ Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture

PART II
Chapter 2/ The Impact of the Concept of Culture on the Concept of Man

Chapter 3/ The Growth of Culture and the Evolution of Mind

PART III
Chapter 4/ Religion As a Cultural System

Chapter 5/ Ethos, World View, and the Analysis of Sacred Symbols

Chapter 6/ Ritual and Social Change: A Javanese Example

Chapter 7/ "Internal Conversion" in Contemporary Bali

PART IV
Chapter 8/ Ideology As a Cultural System

Chapter 9/ After the Revolution: The Fate of Nationalism in the New States

Chapter 10/ The Integrative Revolution: Primordial Sentiments and Civil Politics in the New States

Chapter 11/ The Politics of Meaning

Chapter 12/ Politics Past, Politics Present: Some Notes on the Uses of Anthropology in Understanding the New States

PART V
Chapter 13/ The Cerebral Savage: On the Work of Claude Lévi-Strauss

Chapter 14/ Person, Time, and Conduct in Bali

Chapter 15/ Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight

Acknowledgments

Index

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - Hebephrene - LibraryThing

This is a difficult and dense volume laying out Clifford Geertz's theory of culture and how they might be interpreted. He is , when he wants to be, a gifted writer and can on occasion come up with a ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - DaveCullen - LibraryThing

This is the best book I've ever read on cultural anthropology, and a great influence on my work. "Thick description" is the term Geertz coined for what he did. I try.

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
• Internal Conversion in Contemporary Bali: 170
• PART IV: 191
• Ideology As a Cultural System: 193
• 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
• Index: 457

About the author

Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) was a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His book Works and Lives: The Anthropologist as Author won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1988.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Interpretation Of Cultures; Basic Books Classics Series; Basic book-s; Volume 5043 of Harper Torchbooks; Volume 5019 of Harper colophon books
• Author: Clifford Geertz
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Basic Books, 1973
• ISBN: 0465097197, 9780465097197
• Length: 470 pages
• Subjects: History / Historiography; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / Historical & Comparative; Literary Criticism / Semiotics & Theory; Philosophy / Hermeneutics; Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social; Social Science / Essays; Social Science / Sociology / General