Symbolic Anthropology Quiz

Symbolic Anthropology: Understanding Cultural Symbols

• Symbolic anthropology studies cultural symbols and how they help understand a society.
• Culture lies within the individuals’ interpretation of their environment, and the meaning assigned to behavior is molded by culturally established symbols.
• There are two major approaches to symbolic anthropology, interpretive and symbolic, with different figures, Clifford Geertz and Victor Turner, respectively.
• David M. Schneider is another key figure in symbolic anthropology who does not fall into either of the schools of thought.
• Symbolic anthropology follows a literary basis instead of an empirical one, focusing on tools like psychology and literature.
• Prominent figures in symbolic anthropology include Clifford Geertz, David M. Schneider, Victor Turner, and Mary Douglas.
• Geertz's interpretive approach asserts that humans need symbolic “sources of illumination” to orient themselves to the system of meaning in a particular culture.
• Turner believed that symbols initiate social actions and are “determinable influences inclining persons and groups to action.”
• The purpose of symbolic and interpretive anthropology can be described through “Thick Description,” a term used often by Geertz that originated from Gilbert Ryle.
• Turner proposed the concept of “Social Drama” to describe social interactions that entail some sort of conflict in society, proposing their symbolic significance.
• Anthropology and psychology have influenced one another from very early on, especially due to the influence of different figures such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Claude Lévi-Strauss.
• There was early hesitation among major figures to integrate the two fields, despite clear overlap in thought.