Why is the Balinese cockfight deep According to Geertz?

The “deep play” of the Balinese cockfight, says Geertz, is like artworks which illustrate an essential insight into our very existence. It is a symbolic manufactured representation of something very real in our social life. It channels aggression and rivalry into an indirect symbolic sphere of engagement.

What did Geertz mean by deep play?

cockfighting
Deep Play is a study of the Balinese tradition of cockfighting, based on a year of anthropological research conducted by Geertz at the end of the 1950s, when he and his wife lived in Bali, attending the illegal but very popular cockfights and interviewing people involved in them.

What does Clifford Geertz mean by thick description?

To aid anthropologists in the task of defining their cultural object of study, Geertz introduced the concept of thick description into the parlance of the discipline; this term can be described as “the detailed account of field experiences in which the researcher makes explicit the patterns of cultural and social …

What is Clifford Geertz famous for?

The American cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz (born 1926) did ethnographic field work in Indonesia and Morocco, wrote influential essays on central theoretical issues in the social sciences, and advocated a distinctive “interpretive” approach to anthropology.

What is cockfighting?

Cockfighting is a centuries-old blood sport in which two or more specially bred birds, known as gamecocks, are placed in an enclosed pit to fight, for the primary purposes of gambling and entertainment.

Is cockfighting legal in Bali for what reason were the Balinese villagers holding a cockfight?

In the past, cockfights were illegal in Bali, but because of their cultural importance the ban was ignored. The compromise between Balinese authorities and the central government was to allow the fights but ban gambling, as it is frowned upon by the Islamic values that are prevalent in the central government.

What is an example of deep play?

Deep play is defined by play behaviour that is risky, often significantly so, for example climbing a tall tree, playing ‘chicken’ or ‘truth or dare’, or confronting a bully. Deep play has important benefits for children.

What is an example of thick description?

Thick description includes voices, feelings, actions and meanings (Ponterotto, 2006). The example most commonly used to explain ‘Thick description’ comes from Ryle. He argued that if someone winks at us without a context, we don’t know what it means. As the context changes, the meaning of the wink changes.

How do you write a good thick description?

When composing your thick description of events, try to show rather than tell by using evocative language. Put another way, select words that help the reader see what is being described. Try to be as specific as possible by avoiding general or abstract words.

Can culture maladaptive?

Culture can also be adaptive and maladaptive. This means that humans have biological and cultural ways of adapting to their environment. However, some groups find it difficult to adapt to certain culture making it maladaptive. A hominid is any human, chimp, or gorilla in fossil or living form.

What did Clifford Geertz believe in?

He argued that culture is made up of the meanings people find to make sense of their lives and to guide their actions. Interpretive social science is an attempt to engage those meanings. Unlike other anthropological scholars, Geertz did not focus on so-called primitive groups.

What is the penalty for cockfighting?

Penal Code 597 b PC is the California statute that makes it a misdemeanor offense to engage in cockfighting, which is causing cocks or roosters to fight or be injured just for amusement. A conviction is punishable by up to one year in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.