ANTH 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Book Of Leviticus, Symbolic Anthropology, American Anthropological Association
10 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
Symbolic anthropology - the study of cultural symbols and how those symbols can be interpreted to a particular society. A symbol is a cultural expression which has a particular culture has arbitrarily associated with a particular meaning. Geertz on religion - system of symbols. Root metaphors provide orientations, teach ways of being in and thinking about the world. Key scenarios are stories or myths that portray cultural beliefs of values. Myth provides knowledge about how the world works, how to control the world, myth and science coexist. The virgin of guadalupe as a mexican national symbol. She appeared in 1531 to christian indian. 17th century - her cult expands dramatically - represents syncretization of roman. Embodied political and religious aspirations of the era. Hero with a thousand faces - joseph campbell (1949) Taboo - object or behavior that is off limits, uphold culture system. Serve as cultural devices to protect distinctive categories of the universe.
