Interpreting Clifford Geertz: Cultural Investigation in the Social Sciences (Cultural Sociology)

Theorist Clifford Geertz's influence extends far beyond anthropology. Indeed the case could be made that he has been abandoned by anthropology and that his legacy has been transferred to a more diffuse community of scholars interested in interpretation. This volume reflects the breadth of his influence, looking at Geertz as a theorist rather than as an anthropologist. To date, there has been no impartial, comprehensive, and authoritative work published on this critical figure. Contributors include an interdisciplinary team of leading scholarsainvestigatingathe three core components of contested legacy: theory, method, and writing. a Meaning Is Everywhere And Everybody Must Interpret. Nobody Argued This More Persuasively Than Clifford Geertz. From Balinese Cock Fights To Sheep Raids To Theater States, Geertz Showed That There Is No Escape From The Sticky Webs Of Meaning That Capture Our Lives. But What Exactly Is Geertz Saying, And Should We Still Listen To Him? After All, Many Argue That His Ideas Have Run Out Of Steam. This Book Confronts Geertz And His Critics, Offering Surprising Answers From Various Disciplines And Identifying For The First Time The Contours Of The Geertz Effect.--provided By Publisher. 1. Introduction: The Rise And Fall And Rise Of Clifford Geertz / Philip Smith -- Pt. I. Geertz, Text, And Structure -- 2. Semiotics And Thick Description (barthes And Geertz) / Peter Brooks -- 3. The Balinese Cockfight Decoded: Reflections On Geertz And Structuralism / Philip Smith -- 4. On Not Doing Systems / Joseph Errington -- Pt. Ii Geertz, Interpretation, And Meaning -- 5. Geertzian Irony / Georgia Warnke -- 6. Clifford Geertz And The Strong Program: The Human Sciences And Cultural Sociology / Jeffrey C. Alexander -- 7. Maximal Interpretation In Clifford Geertz And The Strong Program In Cultural Sociology: Toward A New Epistemology / Isaac Ariail Reed -- 8. Thick Description As A Cosmopolitan Practice: A Pragmatic Reading / Paul Lichterman -- 9. Malarial And Diffident: The Vision Of Clifford Geertz / Robin Wagner-pacifici -- Pt. Iii Geertz And The Disciplines -- 10. Thick Description, Thin History: Did Historians Always Understand Clifford Geertz? / Stuart Clark -- 11. Scientific Cultures / Peter Galison -- 12. Geertz's Legacy Beyond The Modes Of Cultural Analysis Of His Time: Speculative Notes And Queries In Remembrance / George E. Marcus -- 13. To Locate In The Tenor Of Their Setting The Sources Of Their Spell: Clifford Geertz And The Strong Program In Cultural Sociology / Mats Trondman -- 14. Ritual, Power, And Style: The Implications Of Negara For The Sociology Of Power / Bernhard Giesen -- Pt. Iv Geertz, Life, And Work -- 15. Clifford Geertz As A Cultural System / David E. Apter -- 16. On Clifford Geertz: Field Notes From The Classroom / Robert Darnton -- 17. Afterword: The Geertz Effect / Matthew Norton. Edited By Jeffrey C. Alexander, Philip Smith, And Matthew Norton. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Clifford Geertz....Pages 1-6 Front Matter....Pages 7-7 Semiotics and Thick Description (Barthes and Geertz)....Pages 9-16 The Balinese Cockfight Decoded: Reflections on Geertz and Structuralism....Pages 17-32 On Not Doing Systems....Pages 33-41 Front Matter....Pages 43-43 Geertzian Irony....Pages 45-54 Clifford Geertz and the Strong Program: The Human Sciences and Cultural Sociology....Pages 55-64 Maximal Interpretation in Clifford Geertz and the Strong Program in Cultural Sociology: Toward a New Epistemology....Pages 65-76 Thick Description as a Cosmopolitan Practice: A Pragmatic Reading....Pages 77-91 “Malarial and Diffident”: The Vision of Clifford Geertz....Pages 93-102 Front Matter....Pages 103-103 Thick Description, Thin History: Did Historians Always Understand Clifford Geertz?....Pages 105-119 Scientific Cultures....Pages 121-129 Geertz’S Legacy Beyond the Modes of Cultural Analysis of His Time: Speculative Notes and Queries in Remembrance....Pages 131-143 “To Locate in the Tenor of Their Setting the Sources of Their Spell”: Clifford Geertz and the “Strong” Program in Cultural Sociology....Pages 145-166 Ritual, Power, and Style: The Implications of Negara For the Sociology of Power....Pages 167-177 Front Matter....Pages 179-179 Clifford Geertz as a Cultural System....Pages 181-196 On Clifford Geertz: Field Notes from the Classroom....Pages 197-201 Afterword: The Geertz Effect....Pages 203-209 Back Matter....Pages 211-216 "Meaning is everywhere and everybody must interpret. Nobody argued this more persuasively than Clifford Geertz. From Balinese cock fights to sheep raids to theater states, Geertz showed that there is no escape from the sticky webs of meaning that capture our lives. But what exactly is Geertz saying, and should we still listen to him? After all, many argue that his ideas have run out of steam. This book confronts Geertz and his critics, offering surprising answers from various disciplines and identifying for the first time the contours of "the Geertz Effect."--Résumé de l'éditeur