Clifford Geertz

Final paper Clear Thesis statement (don’t just say what you’re going to do; what is it that you claim!) You can include a research question Make sure you analyze your case, don’t just describe it! State your method (s)

Say which method you’ll be using!

Authorial distance Keep a reasonable authorial distance 1) Introduction: “I argue” 2) Body: analysis 3) Conclusion: “I believe”; “in my opinion” Avoid: “This religion sucks!” or “I felt divine guidance while writing this paper”

Final Paper Focus on a specific location or event. Make sure it’s not too broad Should be at UCSD You can use theorists we have studied, but not necessarily…. But it’s good to do it.

Organizational points 1) Avoid long paragraphs. Be organized. 2) Don’t repeat yourself in the paper. It’s boring! 3) When you quote someone, analyze the quote. 4) Double space

Technical Information 1) 3000 words max; 2700 minimum 2) NUMBER YOUR PAGES!!! 3) Don’t forget your title. 4) Make sure you have a list of your citations and your references.

Outline of Today’s Lecture Clifford Geertz

What is Religion as Culture? “A system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long- lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.” “A system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long- lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.” Clifford Geertz Clifford Geertz

Symbolic System In other words, religion is a symbolic system that constructs personalities and that, in turn, impose metaphysical and extraordinary set of meanings upon ordinary existence.

religion is… 1) A system of symbols. 2) Establish powerful and long-lasting moods and motivations. 3) Shaping conceptions of a general order of existence. 4) Clothing these ideas with an aura of factuality. 5) The moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic. p.90. p.90.

Interpretative Anthropology: Method of “Thick Description” ● Geertz believes that religion is an interpretative way that humans give meaning to their lives. * Human “is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.” * Human “is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.” ● What is original about Geertz is that he thinks since society is based on patterns of meaning religion is a cultural process. ● Religion is cultural because it every human action entails a meaningful intention. We just don’t do things, we do it for a reason. ● Religion is cultural because it every human action entails a meaningful intention. We just don’t do things, we do it for a reason.

However… Religion (as culture) is not just about meaning. People sometimes do things that do not necessarily consistent with their system of culture. Conflict is also a part of a cultural system.

Balinese Cockfight ceremony ● The cock-fight represents a whole patterns of meaningful system, in which Balinese society is based upon. Fighting cock as expressive of both the social and sexual status of its fighting male owner. “cock” works in Balinese much as in English, with double entendre. “In the cockfight, then, the Balinese forms and discovers his temperament and his society’s temper at the same time. Or, more exactly, he forms and discovers a particular facet of them.” Geertz.

Geertz is an Irreductionalist-universalist: That is to say: That is to say: 1) Reductionalist-functionalist cannot 1) Reductionalist-functionalist cannot adequately describe human societies. adequately describe human societies. 2) Functionalism ignores MEANINGS 2) Functionalism ignores MEANINGS inherent in human actions. inherent in human actions. 3) A good study of religion needs 3) A good study of religion needs ETHNOGRAPHY ETHNOGRAPHY

Objections 1) Reduces human action to something meaningful. 2) How about actions that do not entail any meaning? Give an example Give an example 3) CULTURAL DETERMINISM T he Problem of Time: T he Problem of Time:

Mary Douglas: A life Born in England in Studied Anthropology at Oxford with Evans-Pritchard. Oxford with Evans-Pritchard. ● Studied the Lele of Central Africa. ● Became a Professor of Anthropology at the University College London. at the University College London. ● A practicing Roman Catholic.

Published in 1966 Douglas points out to universality of the universality of the the distinction between the distinction between “purity” and “defilement”. “purity” and “defilement”. ● Societies usually have a classificatory system in classificatory system in defining something as pure and defining something as pure and something else as impure or something else as impure or polluting. polluting.

Jewish Law: Pork Why did the Hebrews drew up a rule that eating pork is bad (in order to avoid tapeworm) but other neighboring countries, with a similar standard of hygiene, continued to eat pork? Why do they avoid eating pork while the dangers of getting tapeworm are minimal?

Symbolic Systems Dirty: Actually what is regarded to be “dirty” or “ pure” has nothing to do with the actual, physical content of the object that is branded to be one or the other. Symbolism: It has to do with symbolic systems through which we classify the world based on closeness and distance. Dirt, therefore, has universally been classified as something out of place, disorderly, grotesque, anomalies.

Shoes on the Table

Why Dirt is Dirty?

On what is dirty: ● Dirt is not dirty in-itself, but a symbolic category, referring to something that is out of place. Examples ● Shoes placed on the dining-table. ● Clothing lying on chair. ● putting your feed on the table. ● picking your nose at the dinner table.

Symbolic & Psychological Classification We associate things in terms of purity and pollution: 1) Dinner table versus bathroom 2) Bedroom versus entrance door 3) Sexual activity and virginity

What do we do when we find something “dirty” or polluting?

We either ignore it or we We either ignore it or we We get rid of it!!!! Why?

Danger Because it is dangerous!!!! It threatens our orderly place of existence, the system within which our lives remains pure and untouched by “impure” forces, such as germs, bacteria, sex, crime and etc…

Anomalies: How do you deal with it? ● Reclassification: Birth of a handicapped child: threatening the line that divides us from animals. Example: The Nuer of Southern Sudan: redefine a handicapped child as hippopotamus, accidentally born to human parents. The Nuer of Southern Sudan: redefine a handicapped child as hippopotamus, accidentally born to human parents. ● Avoidance of anomalous: Keeping the “mad” out of site. Example: mental institutions and prisons. Example: mental institutions and prisons.

Boundary-making In order to remain pure communities or societies create boundaries to keep those “dirty” stuff (objects or people) OUT of their society, what defines them as a community.

Prison The prison apparatus as a boundary- making system. Deviant individuals or groups find themselves stigmatized, and kept out of society by being imprisoned. Polygamy

Douglas’ Notion of Religion Sacred (purity) and profane (pollution) cannot be neatly divided between the two. They operate or appear together at times, since both the sacred and profane can change over time. (Anglican women priests; Mormons and polygamy).