Jeffrey C. Alexander & Philip Smith 
Interpreting Clifford Geertz 
Cultural Investigation in the Social Sciences

Theorist Clifford Geertz’s influence extends far beyond Anthropology. This volume reflects the breadth of his influence, looking at Geertz as a theorist rather than as an anthropologist. To date there has been no impartial, comprehensive, and authoritative work published on this critical figure.

Table of Content

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Clifford Geertz; J.Alexander & P.Smith PART I: GEERTZ, TEXT AND STRUCTURE Semiotics AND Thick Description; P.Brooks Balinese Cockfight Decoded; P.Smith On Not Doing Systems; J.Errington PART II: GEERTZ, INTERPRETATION AND MEANING Geertzian Irony; G.Warnke Clifford Geertz and the Strong Program; J.Alexander Maximal Interpretation in Clifford Geertz and the Strong Program; I.Reed Thick Description as a Cosmopolitan Practice; P.Lichterman ‘Malarial and Diffident’; R.Wagner-Pacifici PART III: GEERTZ AND THE DISCIPLINES Thick Description, Thin History; S.Clark Scientific Cultures; P.Galison Geertz’s Legacy Beyond the Modes of Cultural Analysis of His Time; G.Marcus ‘To locate in the tenor of their setting the sources of their spell’; M.Trondman Ritual, Power, and Style; B.Giesen PART IV: GEERTZ, LIFE, AND WORK Clifford Geertz as a Cultural System; D.Apter On Clifford Geertz; R.Darnton The Geertz Effect; M.Norton

About the author

JEFFREY C. ALEXANDER Professor of Sociology at Yale University, USA.
 
PHILIP SMITH
Associate Professor of Sociology at Yale University, USA.
 
MATTHEW NORTON Ph D Candidate at Yale University, USA.