Clifford Geertz Research Articles

‘Burnt out by all the exploitation’: Involuted labour in creative fields

This article develops a neo-Bourdieusian analysis of how creative workers respond to the pressures of freelance, contract and project-based cultural production. Using data from 15 in-depth interviews with independent ‘creatives’ we enrol Bourdieu's fields and Clifford Geertz's account of involution – internal over-elaboration – to investigate the tendencies, nuances and outcomes of creative labour's production practices. To answer the field's piecemeal funding and limited market rewards three broad strategic involution strategies are outlined: ‘hard driving’ of resources; reworking and hybridization of existing cultural forms; and uncodified intricacy within the social relations of production. This theorization illustrates how iterative internal complexity aids the economizing of cultural production oriented to gaining recognition while, due to the social intricacy of creative processes, inducing a tendency towards emotional and physical fatigue. Rather than promote a meritocratic productivity imagined by policy discourses, involuted labour produces burnout and thus contributes to the churn of creative talent.

Makna Simbolik dalam Tradisi Adat Khatam Al-Qur’an Pada Acara Pernikahan Oleh Masyarakat Desa Sekernan Muaro Jambi

Every Muslim has various forms of interaction with the Qur'an. For example, the people of Sekernan Village make the recitation of khataman al-Qur'an part of the traditional wedding procession. In practice, this tradition has a unique procession that acculturates with local culture. Therefore, the community makes this tradition a religious ritual in the form of meaningful symbols that are believed to have a positive influence on the sustainability of building a household. So, this research aims to look at the procession and the meaning behind the practice. Using Clifford Geertz's theory, it is used as an analysis to find the meaning behind the symbols in the traditional tradition of khatam al-Qur'an. The results of this study show that there are several series of customs that must be carried out by the bride before reading the Qur'an. Among them are the procession of processions, weighing, then reading the khatam al-Qur'an starting from surah al-Duha to surah an-Nas accompanied by the Koran teacher and his parents. In addition, this tradition also has symbols that relate to the concept of religion, namely in the form of religious education, birrul walidain, and privileges that are believed to have ultimate meaning, so that it continues to be maintained to this day.

Balimau Tradition in the Wedding Procession in Nagari Koto Alam, Pangkalan Koto Baru District, Limapuluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra Province

This study examines the "Balimau Tradition in the Wedding Procession in Koto Alam Village, Pangkalan Koto Baru District, Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra Province". The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of the balimau tradition in the wedding procession in Koto Alam Village and to describe the meaning of the balimau tradition. The theory used in this study is the symbolic interpretative theory of Clifford Geertz. The method used in this study is a qualitative method. Data collection in this study was carried out using observation, interview, and documentation methods. The data analysis technique in this study uses steps including data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions and verification. The results of this study indicate that the balimau tradition is a bathing tradition carried out by the bride and groom after carrying out the marriage contract, this tradition is carried out during the village barolek event. The implementation of the balimau tradition is to prepare the tools and materials for balimau, the bride and groom are paraded to the river, read prayers, shave the bride's hair, rub the boreh kasai on the bride and groom, rub the bungo kiambai, the bride and groom dive, wash the bride and groom's hair, bathe, use pamanih oil, distribute kotan kuniang, and wash away the remaining materials from the balimau tradition. The meaning contained in the balimau tradition is to cleanse and purify the bride and groom. The tools and materials used in the balimau tradition have meanings that are intended for the good of the bride and groom.

Religion and Politics in Indonesia: The Role of Kyai in the 2024 Election, Case Study on Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB)

This qualitative case study investigates the impact of religious leaders' authority on Indonesian society. In this case, religious leaders possess exceptional and reliable religious expertise and a significant impact on society. The Indonesian populace formerly referred to them as Kyai. This study primarily examines the impact of the Kyai on the Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB) party following the Ijtima' Ulama Nusantara gathering. This gathering serves as a strategic maneuver by PKB to secure victory in the upcoming 2024 general election. This study examines the impact of the religious leaders' authority within the PKB party leading up to the 2024 general election. The author contends that religious leaders in Indonesia wield authority that extends beyond religious matters and encompasses all aspects of Indonesian culture, including politics. The author also aims to assert that the party utilizes the influence of the kyai to enhance its electability and garner support from the community. It has been demonstrated, among other ways, through the Ijtima 'Ulama Nusantara event hosted by the PKB party to secure victory in the 2024 general election. This study utilized a descriptive-analytic methodology. This study gathered written data from multiple literary works and crucial information or news from the media. This study employed Clifford Geertz's theory on religious experts as cultural brokers.

Antropologi Tasawuf dalam Tarekat Qadiriyah Naqsyabandiyah di Madura

<p class="06IsiAbstrak">Madurese people who are synonymous with hard character and tend to be rude, are also known to be very religious so not a few are active in a tariqa, among which the popular one is Tarekat Qadiriyah Naqsyabandiyah (TQN). This article aims to examine the meaning of anthropological symbols in the practices and meanings of Madurese people towards the teachings of TQN, as well as how its implications in the personality and life of the Madurese. The methodology used is descriptive qualitative using Clifford Geertz's symbolic anthropology theory. This article concludes that symbolically anthropological TQN has a religious symbol system manifested in hybrid dhikr, <em>zikr jahr</em> (vocalised) and <em>zikr khafiy</em> (hidden). It also shows the existence of Madurese as spiritual subjects who know actively. The implications of dhikr in the lives of TQN pilgrims can be empirical, mystical and meta-empirical. Therefore, it is not uncommon for them to have magical experiences due to the energy of the practised zikr.</p>

Budaya Masyarakat setelah Masuknya BRIlink di Desa Labaraga Kecamatan Wakorumba Utara Kabupaten Buton Utara

This study aims to find out and describe the culture of the community after the culture of the community after the entry of BRILink in Labaraga Village, North Wakorumba District, North Buton Regency. This study uses the theory of Cultural Interpretation of Clifford Geertz in Erlan Tedio Fawas by using a qualitative descriptive method. The data collection technique used is using observation and in-dept interviews. The results of this study indicate that the culture of the community after the inclusion of BRILink in Labaraga Village. With the development of science and technology, BRILink user in Labaraga Village have experienced changes. This change started with following the trend, thus motivating people to become BRILink agents as a service for the BRILink user community, where initially transactions at BRILink were still very minimal. However, as time goes by, transactions at BRILink are increasingly being used by the people of Labaraga Village and now it has become a habit for the community because transactions and other systems have become more practical.

A Second Take

In the 1990s, performative writing and reading attempted to disrupt the rhetorical and ideological structure of scholarly writing. Performative readings helped expose the ways in which scholarly claims to truth-telling—as in Clifford Geertz’s influential essay on the Balinese cockfight—obscured violent or oppressive rhetorical operations. While most performative writing and reading concentrated on the essay form, experiments with public lectures and creative adaptations of scholarly texts were also undertaken. The verve of performative writing and reading tapered off as other issues came to the fore.

Rituals of Devotion: Unveiling The Intersection of Faith and Haj Practice for Muslims

This paper delves into the intricate relationship between religion and the confluence of faith, spirituality, and ritual within a historical and cultural/symbolic domain. Considering the diversity of religious concepts and the ongoing debate over definitions, the study argues that a rational foundation exists within religious adherents supporting arduous rituals due to historical and religious precedents. Drawing upon the works of Clifford Geertz, Tanya Luhrmann, and Talal Asad, the paper aims to harmonize their varied approaches and formulate a cohesive understanding. The theoretical framework aligns with Geertz's definition of religion as a system of symbols that engenders enduring moods and motivations by crafting conceptions of a general order of existence. This interpretation resonates with the act of pilgrimage, particularly Hajj, where devotees seek communion with God through spiritual sentiments and rigorous rituals. The convergence of Geertz's theory with the works of Luhrmann and Asad forms the basis for comprehending the motivations that propel Muslims onto the well-trodden path of pilgrimage.

WALISONGO DAN VOICE OF BACEPROT: SYIAR ISLAM INKULTURATIF DI INDONESIA

Voice of Baceprot (VoB) is a heavy metal band consisting of three young Muslim sisters from Garut, Indonesia. The emergence of VoB is a catalyst in the Islamic world. In the context of the propagation of Islamic values, the presence of VoB with its heavy metal music can be compared to the propagation method applied by the Wali Songo to the Javanese community. Clifford Geertz gave the title to the Wali Songo as cultural brokers because of their role in synthesizing Javanese traditions with Islamic teachings. If Wali Songo used the macapat & gamelan art traditions to spread Islam to the Javanese people, VoB chose the heavy metal music genre to spread Islamic values to the world today. VoB's choice of music with the heavy metal genre itself has certainly raised many questions, how Islam views music, especially heavy metal. The composition of VoB band personnel consisting of 3 young women with complete hijab clothing and singing heavy metal music as their stage identity not only makes VoB a cultural broker but also a political actor for Islamic women in the world arena. When analyzed with the framework of Christian theological reflection from theologian Kosuke Koyama, what VoB has done is part of the concept of contextual participatory theology. Koyama expresses the importance of respecting local culture and context in the appreciation and meaning of faith. Thus, VoB emerges as a unique and innovative representation in preaching, providing a new understanding of the role of women, and heavy metal music in today's Islamic world.

The Symbolic Meaning of Traditional Woven Fabric Ulos as A Spiritual Expression in Batak Toba Rituals

Every society in the world has a certain ability to produce traditional woven cloth as a result of its culture. Likewise, for the Batak people, the traditional woven cloth is called ulos, it is accepted as a symbol of a Batak spiritual expression. In the Batak tradition, giving or receiving a ulos is done based on the rules and procedures generally accepted in society. Giving and receiving ulos also represents a number of ideal values from the people who adhere to it. In substance, these are the values that are symbolically conveyed to someone and it is hoped that they will be realized in the future, accompanied by hopes and prayers. Typically, giving ulos does not have to take into account the particular religion or belief of the person receiving it, and the person to whom the ulos is given receives it with joy. So, ulos itself is universal because it is able to strengthen the solidarity of Batak people of different religions, both personally and collectively. The theory used refers to Clifford Geertz's theory regarding religion as a symbol system found in every culture. In Sandra Niessen's perspective, ulos is an expression and spiritual image of the Toba Batak people. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out research through a study process to find out whether the traditional ulos woven cloth is closely related to the spiritual values that the Batak have had since ancient times.

Enhancing Educational Ecosystems: Implementing Peter Senge's Learning Organization Model in Islamic Boarding Schools

The inability of pesantren in the 21st-century era of knowledge and technology to maintain its classical madrasah system raises significant questions. Therefore, understanding how Madrasah Hidayatul Mubtadiin (MHM) in Lirboyo, Kediri City, as one of the Salafiyah Islamic Boarding Schools, adapts to its environment through the implementation of Peter Senge's five learning organization (LO) disciplines is crucial. This research adopts a qualitative approach, employing a case study methodology. Data were gathered through observations, interviews, and documentation. The findings indicate that the implementation of LO at MHM Lirboyo Madrasah aligns well with the five disciplines of a learning organization. These include: 1) Personal mastery among teachers is demonstrated through self-reflection, exemplary behavior, diligence, and consistency in adhering to institutional rules. 2) Mental models cultivated through tolerant behavior, respect, awareness of the importance of learning, high motivation for learning, and practicing akhlakul karimah (noble character). 3) Shared vision fostered through a commitment to obeying the Kiai (religious leaders), openness, sharing of vision, and socialization of programs. 4) Team learning is facilitated through open discussions and group dialogue. 5) System thinking is promoted through the involvement of administrators, coordinated work efforts, and mutual support. This research contrasts negative assessments of pesantren, which often characterize them as rural Islamic social structures entrenched in a conservative culture, as articulated by Clifford Geertz, Ahmad Syafi'i Ma'arif, and Fuad Amsyari.

Why win a World Cup? Thirty-six years of football and nation(alisms) in Argentina

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the categories established to study the connections between national identities and football in Latin America. It focuses particularly on that of the ‘public arena’, inspired by the work of Clifford Geertz, and that of ‘free zones’ in culture, introduced by the Argentine anthropologist Eduardo Archetti in his research into a ‘popular sports nationalism’ at the dawn of the twentieth century. As part of the analysis, it looks at the narrative of Argentina’s recent victory of the Qatar World Cup 2022 on television and in the experience of fans, as well as the (futile) attempts by politicians to channel the fervour. Finally, the article explores how the political hero moves into post-politics: the narrative twists that enable the shift from Maradona to Messi.

The effort and intricacies of generating experience-near language

In this paper I explore Clifford Geertz’s distinction between experience-near and experience-distant language. In the process, I draw from mad studies and mental health service user epistemology, both written and generated through my work. I also draw on the work of the historian of emotion Tiffany Watt Smith. Three specific practices in relation to language use are proposed: how we can invigorate the agency or meaning-making in language use; how we can use language to assist people to become familiar with, not alienated from, their experience; and how we might name and question the values or obligations that get smuggled in with emotion talk. I also provide three exercises to explore these themes.

Global Diversity Character Habituation Profil Pelajar Pancasila in Islamic-Based Schools from the Perspective of Pierre Bourdieu and Clifford Geertz

This research is based on the phenomenon of conflict with a background of differences. Indonesia, as a multicultural country that has the ideology of Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, in fact still often experiences discrimination, domination, and other problems that end in conflict and violence. Indonesia's cultural wealth in the form of local wisdom is now starting to be eroded due to the influence of globalization. Society began to focus on Western cultures. This research aims to describe the process of habituating the character of global diversity in the younger generation, especially students through educational institutions. Based on the theory of Pierre Bourdieu and Clifford Geertz, the researcher tries to describe the implementation of strengthening the global diversity character of the Profil Pelajar Pancasila in Islamic-based schools in the city of Surakarta. This research is research with a descriptive qualitative approach. The results of this research explain that Profil Pelajar Pancasila is a competent lifelong learner, has character, and behaves according to Pancasila's values. In connection with Pierre Bourdieu's theory, educational institutions are referred to as arenas (fields). Furthermore, global diversity includes openness and tolerance towards foreign cultural diversity while still respecting culture. This concept is by Clifford Geertz's theory that culture is a symbolic system, so cultural processes must be read, translated, and interpreted. The success of characterizing global diversity is influenced by family socialization and teacher example, both of which, according to Pierre Bourdieu, are structural actors/agents and are influenced by social heterogeneity which becomes social capital.

The Tragic Concept of Love and Madness in the Dramatic Literature of Farhad Nazerzadeh Kermani

The purpose of this article is to investigate the symbolic and symbolic aspects of the play "Window on the Wind “written by Professor Farhad Nazerzadeh Kermani with an interpretive anthropological approach. In the statement of interpretive anthropology, Clifford Geertz considers two important processes of emic-etic research as the fundamental elements of the interpretation of works of art. A Window on the Winds has been able to put the anthropological context of the drama in a link between culture, man, and nature, and by creating tribal music, it has also mixed the archetypes of the people of Kerman. In the play "Window on the Winds", from the title to the ending, the mixing of the culture of the two characters of Sanobar (female) and Mozaffar (man) in the imaginary self-made nature of Badabad, forms an interpretive anthropological triangle based on Geertz's theory on the interrelationships of "human", "culture" and "nature" and to place it in the category of semantic dramas of ecology. After eight months away, Mozaffar returned to his hometown of Badabad, Kerman, and under the influence of the false reports of monkey play, he became pessimistic towards his pregnant wife Sanobar. Therefore, to protect his reputation, he decides to punish Sanobar and takes her to the top of a hill in the desert at night with a rope in one hand and a lantern in the other hand, and ties her to a stone shaped like a donkey's head Kharsang), A big stone on a hill in the shape of a donkey's head is the punishment. He slowly walks away with the hyena-like sound of bad friends, with the assumption that if the fir tree is innocent, it will be saved by the nocturnal singers, and if it is guilty, it will become the prey of wild animals. Signs and meanings in this play express two important aspects of cultural and interpretive anthropology. The findings show that the author was able to create new symbols suitable for the culture and nature of the people of the region. There are about twenty-seven native, tribal, mental, religious, and imaginary symbols in this play, which places it in the ranks of notable ethnographic symbolist plays this research was prepared based on the method of descriptive-analytical and library-documentary studies and it was also analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method.

Mussolini and the Jewish Question in the Diaries of Claretta Petacci

The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the attitude of the leader of Italian fascism, Benito Mussolini, to representatives of Jewish nationality. The diaries of Mussolini's mistress Claretta Petacci, which she kept from 1932 to 1937, are mainly used as a source. The work also explores the drastic change in B. Mussolini's attitude towards Jews, which occurred after an alliance was concluded with the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, in 1937. There is a connection between these events, since until 1937 Petacci's diaries said nothing about the Jewish question. The article also examines the attitude of Italian society towards the racial laws of 1938 against Jews, which was not at all unambiguous. As an analytical method, the interpretive approach of the American anthropologist Clifford Geertz will be used, who believed that the analysis of culture is not an experimental matter, but a hermeneutic one, engaged in the search for meanings, symbols and ideas. The scientific novelty of this study lies in a specific consideration of the Jewish question of Mussolini and his study based on the memoirs of his mistress Claretta Petacci. There are not many studies devoted specifically to this issue and specifically to this historical source. The main conclusions of the above study are that it was the alliance concluded in 1937 with Adolf Hitler that radically influenced Benito Mussolini's decision to introduce racial laws in Italy, since the Duce was not much concerned about the Jewish question until 1937. The author of the work also drew conclusions regarding the negative attitude towards anti-Semitic laws by the majority of Italian society: Italians did not accept them due to the lack of anti-Semitism and hostility towards Jews in Italy.

A way out of the predicament of social sciences in the 20th century: a dialogue with Clifford Geertz’s essay “Thick description: toward an interpretive theory of culture”(Part II)

Clifford Geertz’s essay, “Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture” comprehensively explored the basic problems encountered in the theoretical efforts of 20th century social sciences. As a response to his reflection, this paper tries to reveal the methodological roots of the predicament of interpretive anthropology and all social sciences, through an epistemological analysis of social science. In addition, with the Theory of Belief as an analytical tool, it also tries to offer a solution to one of the classic predicaments in social sciences: “what is ethnography”.

The predicament of social sciences in the 20th century: a dialogue with Clifford Geertz’s essay “Thick description: toward an interpretive theory of culture” (Part I)

The theorization of social sciences in the 20th century walked forward with difficulty. Clifford Geertz’s essay, “Thick description: Toward an interpretive theory of culture”, which comprehensively explored the fundamental problems in the process, is an essential document in the history of thoughts in the social sciences in the twentieth century. In response to Geertz’s reflection, this paper tries to reveal the predicament of interpretive anthropology and the entire social sciences and its methodological roots through an epistemological analysis of social science.

‘Standing up’ Maḥallu al-Qiyām as cultural expression in Indonesia: A historical approach

This study aims to discuss the historiography of standing up Maḥallu al-Qiyām in the cultural expression in Indonesia. This research is classified as qualitative research with a historical approach method reinforced with documentation, interview and observation. To deepen the meaning of Maḥallu al-Qiyām using analysis using the symbolic interpretive theory of Clifford Geertz. Interestingly, the tradition of Maḥallu al-Qiyām becomes a symbolic meaning of the expression of homage to the Prophet Muhammad and has the content of Maḥabbah teachings to the Prophet. This research concluded that standing up Maḥallu al-Qiyām began when Sheikh Tajuddin as-Subkhi started his stand while reading the Prophet’s Mawlīd as a symbol of respect for the Prophet Muhammad. The Maḥallu al-Qiyām has various forms of celebration as a cultural expression in Indonesia, manifested in various forms of celebration in Javanese cultures, such as muludan, srakalan, kekahan, temu manten, manakiban, sema’an al-Qur’an, and respect for newly arrived ulama.Contribution: This article has contributed to discovering the traditions that developed in Indonesia, which intersected with Maḥallu al-Qiyām, thus identifying some expressions of Javanese culture in whose dialectic with standing Maḥallu al-Qiyām.

Cleavage politics in ordinary reasoning: How common sense divides

ABSTRACT This study explores how the ideological divide between the radical right and liberal left is anchored in the common sense reasoning of ordinary citizens. Across Western Europe, cleavage research has documented a divide in attitudes towards immigration and cultural liberalization which some view as a new cleavage of ‘universalism’ versus ‘particularism’. Yet it is unclear how this squares with the fact that most citizens are non-ideologues with only moderate political interest and knowledge. Building on Clifford Geertz, Pierre Bourdieu, and recent research into the politics of group identities, we theorize how even in the absence of fully worked-out political ideologies, citizens mobilize forms of common sense reasoning based on group distinctions and moral intuitions. We apply this approach in a rare qualitative comparison of political reasoning on both sides of the new divide, analyzing narrative interviews (N=64) with groups positioned on its opposing sides: workers or small owners voting for the radical right; and sociocultural professionals voting for the liberal left. We show how ‘common sense particularism’ and ‘common sense universalism’ draw on distinct intuitions regarding the worthy self, the scope of solidarity, and the normative status of community. These intuitions resonate with class-specific social experiences and group referents.