1015:, the method of descriptive ethnography that came to be associated with Geertz is credited with resuscitating field research from an endeavor of ongoing objectification—the focus of research being "out there"—to a more immediate undertaking, where participant observation embeds the researcher in the enactment of the settings being reported. However, despite its dissemination among the disciplines, some theorists pushed back on thick description, skeptical about its ability to somehow interpret meaning by compiling large amounts of data. They also questioned how this data was supposed to provide the totality of a society naturally.
922:'s concepts of culture as a "most complex whole" that is able to be understood; instead culture, to Geertz, could never be fully understood or observed. Because of this, ethnographic observations must rely on the context of the population being studied by understanding how the participants come to recognize actions in relation to one another and to the overall structure of the society in a specific place and time. Today, various disciplines have implemented thick description in their work.
976:. A shift occurred from using structural approaches (as an interpretive lens) towards meaning. With the interpretive turn, contextual and textual information took the lead in understanding reality, language, and culture. This was all under the assumption that a better anthropology included understanding the particular behaviors of the communities being studied.
40:
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the subjects of ethnographic research and recognizing that cultural analysis is never complete. This method is essential to approach the actual context of a culture. As such, Geertz points out that interpretive works provide ethnographers the ability to have conversations with the people they study.
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work, Geertz's methods were in response to his critique of existing anthropological methods that searched for universal truths and theories. He was against comprehensive theories of human behavior; rather, he advocated methodologies that highlight culture from the perspective of how people looked at
906:
Thick description emphasized a more analytical approach, whereas previously observation alone was the primary approach. To Geertz, analysis separated observation from interpretative methodologies. An analysis is meant to pick out the critical structures and established codes. This analysis begins
917:
takes issue with the state of anthropological practices in understanding culture. By highlighting the reductive nature of ethnography, to reduce culture to "menial observations," Geertz hoped to reintroduce ideas of culture as semiotic. By this he intended to add signs and deeper meaning to the
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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. A thick description typically adds a record of subjective explanations and meanings provided by the people engaged in the behaviors, making the
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with distinguishing all individuals present and coming to an integrative synthesis that accounts for the actions produced. The ability of thick descriptions to showcase the totality of a situation to aid in the overall understanding of findings was called
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school was pushing for an ethnographic approach that paid particular attention to everyday events. The school of ethnography thought seemingly arbitrary events could convey important notions of understanding that could be lost at a first glance. Similarly
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This approach brings about its own difficulties. Studying communities via large-scale anthropological interpretation will bring about discrepancies in understanding. As cultures are dynamic and changing, Geertz also emphasizes the importance of speaking
925:
Geertz pushes for a search for a "web of meaning". These ideas were incompatible with textbook definitions of ethnography of the times that described ethnography as systematic observations of different populations under the guise of
911:. As Lincoln & Guba (1985) indicate, findings are not the result of thick description; rather they result from analyzing the materials, concepts, or persons that are "thickly described."
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To explain such context required grasping individuals' motivations for their behaviors and how these behaviors were understood by other observers of the community as well.
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categorization and categorizing the "other." To Geertz, culture should be treated as symbolic, allowing for observations to be connected with greater meanings.
833:. Since then, the term and the methodology it represents has gained widespread currency, not only in the social sciences but also, for example, in the type of
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886:. Malinowski felt that an anthropologist should try to understand the perspectives of ethnographic subjects in relation to their own world.
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of meaning. Because of this, Geertz's influence is connected with "a massive cultural shift" in the social sciences - referred to as the
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Thompson, W. B. (2001). "Policy Making through Thick and Thin: Thick
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Yon, Daniel A. (2003). "Highlights and
Overview of the History of Educational Ethnography".
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Robinson, Paul (September 25, 1983). "From Suttee to
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1412:(1988), "Thick and Thin Methodologies in the History of Economic Thought",
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Munson, Henry (1986). "Geertz on
Religion: The Theory and the Practice".
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collected data of greater value for studies by other social scientists.
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1346:(1973), "Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture",
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Interpretive methodologies were needed to understand culture as a
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Thick description was first introduced by the
British philosopher
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thin, which includes surface-level observations of behaviour; and
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Barth, Fredrik (2007). "Overview: Sixty Years in
Anthropology".
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Geertz's thick-description approach, along with the theories of
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collection of observations. These ideas would challenge
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860:thick, which adds context to such behaviour.
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898:re-popularized the concept. Known for his
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1085:
1076:
1064:
1035:Indexicality
1009:Paul Ricoeur
997:Gilbert Ryle
989:technocratic
978:
967:
961:
950:
939:
935:
932:
924:
913:
908:
905:
893:
881:
877:
869:ethnographic
866:
863:
851:Gilbert Ryle
848:
845:Gilbert Ryle
824:
823:in his book
814:Gilbert Ryle
808:
798:
792:
738:Bibliography
680:Interpretive
655:Diffusionism
624:Key theories
610: /
540:Key concepts
512:
451:Sociological
431:Ethnological
218:Neurological
203:Evolutionary
148:Experiential
32:Anthropology
1322:(1): 1–16.
993:mechanistic
831:ethnography
811:philosopher
608:Colonialism
551:Development
508:Reflexivity
476:Ethnography
426:Descriptive
284:Development
223:Nutritional
198:Biocultural
123:Battlefield
1540:Categories
1376:Hammersley
1113:Yon (2003)
1051:References
588:Prehistory
441:Historical
414:Linguistic
326:Historical
294:Ecological
186:Biological
88:Linguistic
78:Biological
1510:0084-6570
1481:153151073
1465:0032-2687
1336:0084-6570
1094:1363-1098
1056:Footnotes
1005:Max Weber
837:known as
561:Evolution
556:Ethnicity
488:Ethnology
366:Political
274:Cognitive
213:Molecular
1429:: 19–32.
1423:Religion
1394:. SAGE.
1144:. 1985.
1098:original
1019:See also
743:Journals
660:Feminism
446:Semiotic
386:Symbolic
381:Religion
316:Feminist
304:Economic
254:Cultural
208:Forensic
163:Maritime
158:Forensic
153:Feminist
128:Biblical
118:Aviation
83:Cultural
24:a series
22:Part of
1473:4532522
1088:11:11.
793:In the
598:Society
546:Culture
361:Musical
356:Museums
351:Medical
336:Kinship
289:Digital
264:Applied
56:History
51:Outline
1508:
1479:
1471:
1463:
1398:
1365:
1334:
1303:
1160:
1156:SAGE.
1148:
1092:
1011:, and
964:system
573:Gender
503:Holism
401:Visual
376:Public
279:Cyborg
249:Social
113:Aerial
93:Social
1477:S2CID
1469:JSTOR
1272:e.g.
722:Lists
603:Value
481:cyber
396:Urban
346:Media
341:Legal
67:Types
1506:ISSN
1461:ISSN
1396:ISBN
1363:ISBN
1332:ISSN
1301:ISBN
1158:ISBN
1146:ISBN
1090:ISSN
928:Race
593:Race
583:Meme
321:Food
1498:doi
1453:doi
1324:doi
953:cf.
940:for
269:Art
1542::
1504:.
1494:32
1492:.
1475:.
1467:.
1459:.
1449:34
1447:.
1427:16
1425:.
1330:.
1320:36
1318:.
1276:,
1181:^
1105:^
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1007:,
1003:,
999:,
991:,
936:to
841:.
26:on
1512:.
1500::
1483:.
1455::
1438:.
1404:.
1371:.
1338:.
1326::
1309:.
1176:.
1164:.
1154:.
782:e
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768:v
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