UU150 Study Guide - Final Guide: Omar Daal, Andy Benes, Trobriand Islands
There have been many anthropological explorations and
descriptions of everyday meaning making. For instance,
George Gmelch’s Baseball Magic explains how baseball
players (and their devoted fans) use “magic” to manage
psychological anxiety created by the unpredictability of
the sport they play. Below is an excerpt of George
Gmelch’s (N.d) now famous description of how ritual,
taboos, and fetishes are played out on the baseball field:
On each pitching day for the first three months of a
winning season, Dennis Grossini, a pitcher on a Detroit
Tiger farm team, arose from bed at exactly 10:00 a.m. At
1:00 p.m. he went to the nearest restaurant for two
glasses of iced tea and a tuna sandwich. Although the
afternoon was free, he changed into the sweatshirt and
supporter he wore during his last winning game, and, one
hour before the game, he chewed a wad of Beech-Nut
chewing tobacco. After each pitch during the game he
touched the letters on his uniform and straightened his
cap after each ball. Before the start of each inning he
replaced the pitcher’s resin bag next to the spot where it
was the inning before. And after every inning in which he
gave up a run, he washed his hands.
When asked which part of the ritual was most important,
he said, “You can’t really tell what’s most important so it
all becomes important. I’d be afraid to change anything.
As long as I’m winning, I do everything the same.”
Trobriand Islanders, according to anthropologist
Bronislaw Malinowski, felt the same way about their
fishing magic. Among the Trobrianders, fishing took two
forms: in the inner lagoon where fish were plentiful and
there was little danger, and on the open sea where
fishing was dangerous and yields varied widely.
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Document Summary
There have been many anthropological explorations and descriptions of everyday meaning making. George gmelch"s baseball magic explains how baseball players (and their devoted fans) use magic to manage psychological anxiety created by the unpredictability of the sport they play. Gmelch"s (n. d) now famous description of how ritual, taboos, and fetishes are played out on the baseball field: On each pitching day for the first three months of a winning season, dennis grossini, a pitcher on a detroit. Tiger farm team, arose from bed at exactly 10:00 a. m. at. 1:00 p. m. he went to the nearest restaurant for two glasses of iced tea and a tuna sandwich. Although the afternoon was free, he changed into the sweatshirt and supporter he wore during his last winning game, and, one hour before the game, he chewed a wad of beech-nut chewing tobacco. After each pitch during the game he touched the letters on his uniform and straightened his cap after each ball.
