The following text is about anthropology.
The concept of "thick description," introduced by anthropologist Clifford Geertz, transformed how ethnographers interpret culture. Rather than cataloging behaviors, thick description involves interpreting the layered meanings behind actions. A wink, for example, could be an involuntary twitch, a conspiratorial signal, a parody of a conspiracy, or something else—the same physical movement with radically different meanings. Geertz argued that anthropology's task is not to reduce culture to laws but to decode these dense webs of significance, making other cultures intelligible to outsiders.
What does "thick description" emphasize in anthropological research?
Recording only the physical movements people make
Interpreting the layered meanings behind cultural actions
Reducing culture to simple universal laws
Ignoring context when analyzing behavior
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Thick description "involves interpreting the layered meanings behind actions" and decoding "dense webs of significance."
- Evidence: Layered meanings; webs of significance.
- Reasoning: Interpretation of meaning, not just observation.
- Conclusion: Understanding cultural significance is central.
Choice A is incorrect because physical movement is insufficient—the wink example shows same movement, different meanings. Choice C is incorrect because Geertz argued against reducing culture to laws. Choice D is incorrect because context determines meaning.