Symbolism 1-2

Symbolism

David Schneider

Book American kinship a cultural account 1968
culture is a system of shared symbols and meanings. In USA American kinship system is understood by understanding symbols which upon it relies on like agriculture is composed of symbols and they are connected through their meanings. Some symbols are core symbols.
Symbols constituted systems and these systems have units which belong to domain of a particular culture. Domains are connected with other domains and units are connected with other units. Symbols define units and differentiate them. Diagram S > Sys > units of a domain. Inter connected domains. Sym | Norm | Behave
cultural reality is different from objective reality. Deadman is objective reality but Ghost of the deadman is cultural reality. Therefore empirical study and reality is not needed to understand culture. We can study caste system without being bothered about facts on ground. Suggested various levels of reality

Reality at the level of actions. Does not provide more insight and not much utility.
At the level of symbols. They are the basic unit to cultural reality.

Between symbols and behaviour there is intermediate level called normative level. It provides direction through specific rules
Identify two systems normative and cultural systems

normative systems are egocentric and helpful in decision making and appropriate social interactions.
Cultural system is centred around the system. It consists of connecting individual with the larger culture.

Kinship is not nature based but culture based
Inspired feminist and history was extended to sex roles.
Criticism. Distinction between level of action and symbol is intertwined more complex than he argued. Also calling the level of action as inconsequential was rejected. Field by M N Srinivas

Interpretation means reading between the lines. culture is not out there but in people's mind and reality is experienced internally constructed in social run through interaction and interpreted by the actors. Native point of view is necessary to understand. Thick description. Aim of interpretive studies to draw large conclusions from small but very densely textured facts to support broad assertions about the role of culture in the construction of collective life.

Clifford geertz

never distinguish symbols and behaviour. But combined them in symbolic action. symbol order and domain of action or not separable but they are merged into one another and instead of distinguishing between them heat combined both.
emphasized that orthographic should depict the richness of real people in real life.
Unlike structuralists like Levi Strauss who studied kinship religion and totemism as decontextualized like looking for binary opposites. Clifford argued that humans engage in symbolic action and meaning of social phenomena does not reside in people's heads but symbols and meanings are shared by people and public not private.
Balinese cock fight these events have public meanings and communicate among the actors who have common understanding.
Argue that a programmer should include his reference and interpretation in ethnography.
1973 book interpretation of culture. Argue that culture can be viewed as text. The text embodies everyday social activities of the people engaged in symbolic action. Various rituals.

balinese cockfight. People actively engaged in cockfight and put money on their favourite cocks. This conveys the message Aaj in society. It was an expression of popular obsession for consuming power. It expresses themes like animal savage, Male narcissism, rivalry and gambling. It shows their hierarchical structure society and also re enforces that.

Victor Turner.

Geertz and Schnider were the students of talcott parsons. But he was student of Max Gluckman conflict theorist.
Max argued that conflict also has a function.
Turner believe that normal state of society is not that of solidarity and harmonious integration but of conflict and contradiction.
symbols are operators of social process which means they help in carrying out the social process and influence it. When symbols are put together in certain arrangement in a certain context they produce social transformation.
when symbolic action gets meaningfully connected they come up with symbolic system.
Symbols are - meaning , world view and rituals

meaningful to us and It provide meaning and explanations about what they mean.
Secondly we use them in rituals.
Third we think about the world through them.

People go through various stages in life like unmarried to married. Rituals provide transition. Matrilineal inheritance but virilocal residence.
3 meanings of symbol. Fork stick ritual.

Exegetical. What they say about ritual. It is for strength.
Operational. How symbol used.
Positional meaning. Link to other symbols. Fork stick reflects forest landscape.

Milk tree symbolises mother and child breastfeeding.
In Ndembu tribe 1957 book schism of continuity. 1967 the forest of symbols. There Tribes of Zambia. The symbols serve following purpose India society

Symbol the set of cognitive classifications which help them to organise their world. There were powerful emotions like fear jealousy hatred and greed. Symbols Orient action. Rituals Are an important site for understanding symbols and their instrumentality. Among this tribe hunting and initiation rights are influenced by symbols which help people classify and relating one category of actors to the other this way symbols connect and Orient.

Social drama.

Breach
Crisisl. Most important. Shows various rituals.
Liminal or reconciliation
Reintegration or accept fissure.

Rituals can be creative process. De structure.

Criticism

Postmodernists question de role of anthropologist who is not objective.
Data study cannot be compared with others
validation of interpretation is problematic where subjectivity was added to the meaning asserted by individuals. Geertz.
Martin criticised gewrtz for undermining causal laws in his study.

Conclusion

Symbols give information about reality and act as templates of behaviour. Symbols in able people to carry out purposeful action. Symbols include not only ideas meanings feelings but also acts behaviour and relationships.