Symbolic actions and their Meaning

Anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) viewed culture as a symbolic system in which even the most simple, seemingly straightforward actions commonly convey deep meanings. Every day we engage in symbolic actions imbued with cultural significance that we have learned via the process of enculturation. To further explore the notion that common human nonverbal actions often have deep cultural significance, this activity requires you to observe people explicitly engaging in symbolic actions select a public space in which to conduct your observation, such as a restaurant, university campus, coffee shop, baseball game, grocery store, or city park where there are a variety of people present. Once at the location, find a spot that affords an ample vantage point from which you can best observe the people interacting. Once you have a good focal position, use the next thirty minutes to observe the people in the location and to takes notes of the types of symbolic action you witness such as nonverbal gestures, postures, use of space, eye contact, and physical contact. First, spend 10 minutes counting the number of symbolic actions you can witness. Then, spend 20 minutes closely observing and note-taking on three symbolic actions. 1.) Describe both the location where your observation took place and the people who were present. If you use identifiers such as ethnicity when describing the people, discuss what features you based your identifier on (language, clothing, etc.). 2.) Discuss three symbolic actions that you observed, detailing the action and who was engaging in it. Describe how you knew whether or not the symbolic action was, indeed, a symbolic action. 3.) Identify the meanings behind the symbolic actions that you observed. Explain how you knew the meaning behind these actions and whether there were any actions that you did not recognize or that had meanings that you may not have known or understood. 4.) Write down the sum all of the symbolic actions you observed during the initial ten minutes of your observation. Discuss whether the particular context of the public location you chose contributed to, or detracted from, the number and extent of symbolic actions that occurred. 5.) Evaluate the validity of Clifford Geertz's approach in anthropology by discussing whether or not seemingly everyday nonverbal actions actually do convey deep symbolic meanings that reflect particular cultural beliefs or practices. Discuss whether learning the symbolic meanings associated with symbolic actions in a specific cultural context is necessary to better understand the cultural practices and beliefs of people who share cultures different than one's own      

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