The Interpretation of Cultures

How does cultural evolutionism give way to cultural relativism? Why does Geertz find both inadequate? What alternative does Geertz suggest?

Why is the specificity of culture systems necessary to draw general theories about human society? Using examples from the text, explain how Geertz demonstrates theory construction from concrete, specific, empirical analyses of cultural patterns.

What is the relationship between ethos and worldview, and how does religious practice and belief sustain this relationship?

Why does Geertz distinguish between culture system and social system? Why does he insist that the distinction is necessary for adequate analysis?

How do political situations in newly independent states demonstrate the function of nationalist ideology as a cultural system?

What is the relationship between traditional culture systems and nationalist ideologies in the integrative revolution? Using examples from the text, explain the role cultural conflict plays in transitions from colonial rule to independence.

Geertz claims that cultural conflict in new states is not the result of colonial rule, but rather the transition from colonial rule to independence. Do more recent political and theoretical developments support or challenge his assertion? Why or why not?

How does Geertz’s analysis of the work of Claude Levi-Strauss demonstrate the tenuous distinction between subjectivity and objectivity in the social sciences? Why does Geertz’s interpretive approach to social science appear to make the distinction of less importance?