Analysis Of Clifford Geertz Interpretation Of Culture

Paper # 4 In part four of Clifford Geertz “Interpretation of cultures,” he begins by explaining Ideology within culture. He states the ideology is not as realistic as it should be. Ideology is a system of ideals that have produced fields in the political and social realm. Geertz says that ideologies have become so far removed from reality because the sciences only look at specific aspects of problems. Ideology is then broken into “strain” theory and “interest” theory. The interest theory is the belief that “ideas are weapons” highlighting people who use ideas to get to the top, at least this was my interpretation of it. “Strain” theory where individuals seek solace from social anxiety in the form of embracing a certain ideology. Geertz point was to not look at ideology as a weapon or a tool that helps individuals suffering from social anxiety based on societal expectations that they don’t meet, but instead look at ideology itself. Look at what ideologies speak on about the society, and look at it’s meaning. In the next chapter Geertz discusses nationalism. Today nationalism

He points out that “savage” behavior is just one aspect of human behaviors and that what western society see as “uncivilized” is not necessarily so. Western society represents a culture that has been corrupted, “uncivilized” societies represent a society that has been untouched by western ideals. Strauss’s point is that “savage” societies have logical thinking just as western societies do. Geertz states that instead of looking to societies untouched by western civilization to understand the primal man, anthropologist should be looking at deeper theoretical systems. One idea that is pertinent to Geertz argument is Levi- Strauss’s structuralism, to emphasize this Geertz uses the Bali people as an