Geertz "Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture"

Question 1

What is the semiotic approach to culture according to Geertz?

Answer 1

Culture can’t be reduced to a system of behaviours, practices and believes, but culture is a realm in which people made meaning out of their life.

Question 2

What meant the shift from ontology to epistemology according to Geertz?

Answer 2

Instead of having a complete understanding of culture, you study the social context in which cultural meanings are being produced.

Question 3

What does Ontology mean according to Geertz?

Answer 3

What is culture?

Question 4

What does Epistemology mean according to Geertz?

Answer 4

How do we know culture?

Question 5

What does Geertz mean with thick description?

Answer 5

Thick description: as a way of providing cultural context and meaning to human action and behaviour.
Thin description: factual account without any interpretation

Question 6

How does Geertz describe culture?

Answer 6

Culture is a system of symbols to be interpreted according to the logic of a (dynamic) given cultural context.
Meaning of a culture can only be understood within a given cultural context (researcher needs to live among the natives)

Question 7

What is ethnography?

Answer 7

An example of understanding culture (e.g. interviewing, observing, participating in rituals or other activities).

Now cultures are more related and overlapped, so it’s more difficult to do ethnography.