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 the concept of thick description?
In the social sciences and related fields, a thick description is a description of human social action that describes not just physical behaviors, but their context as interpreted by the actors as well, so that it can be better understood by an outsider.
What is a thick description example?
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.
What is theory What does Geertz thick description offer an anthropologist?
One of the key terms in Clifford Geertz’s anthropological theory is that of “Thick Description”. … According to Geertz an ethnographer must present a thick description which is composed not only of facts but also of commentary, interpretation and interpretations of those comments and interpretations.
What is ethnography and thick description?
Thick description is a social sciences qualitative research technique that gives detailed descriptions and interpretations of situations observed by a researcher. It is a ethnographic and qualitative research technique. The term was invented by social anthropologists Gilbert Ryle and Clifford Geertz.
How do you write a 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. You may also read,
How do you write an ethnographic description?
- A thesis. The thesis establishes the central theme and message of your research study. …
- Literature Review. A literature review is an analysis of previous research now on your research topic. …
- Data Collection. …
- Data Analysis. …
- Reflexivity.
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What is meant by thick and rich description?
In case study research, thick description involves looking at the rich details of the case, sorting out the complex layers of understanding that structure the social world. … For Geertz, doing anthropology means doing ethnography, which in turn means doing thick description.
What is thick and thin description?
“Thick Description” is a term used by the cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz. He described the practice of thick description as a way of providing cultural context and meaning to human actions and behavior, as opposed to “thin description” which is a factual account without any interpretation. Read:
Which research method is most likely to use thick description?
Qualitative research can also provide rich and detailed descriptions of human behaviour in the real-world contexts in which it occurs. Among qualitative researchers, this depth is often referred to as “thick description” (Geertz, 1973).
What is the significance of Geertz example of the winks?
The winker, Geertz tells us, is communicating, “in a quite precise and special way.” Specifically, “to wink is to try to signal to some- one in particular, without the cognisance of others, a definite message according to an already understood code,” as Ryle (2009 [1968]: 494) put it in the original essay.
What is Geertz theory?
GEERTZ ON RELIGION: THE THEORY. AND THE PRACTICE. Henry Munson, Jr. INTRODUCTION In his influential essay `Religion as a Cultural System’, which was first published in 1966, Clifford Geertz argues that religion should be studied as a symbolic system in terms of which believers interpret the world and live their lives.
Why is Clifford Geertz important?
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.
How does Geertz define culture?
Culture, according to Geertz, is “a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life.” The function of culture is to impose meaning on the world and make it understandable.
What do you understand by ethnography?
ethnography, descriptive study of a particular human society or the process of making such a study. Contemporary ethnography is based almost entirely on fieldwork and requires the complete immersion of the anthropologist in the culture and everyday life of the people who are the subject of his study.
What is thick description quizlet?
“thick” description involves understanding and absorbing the context of the situation or behavior. It also involves ascribing present and future intentionality to the behavior.
