Cultural Systems and Social Status

Paper Summary:

The paper explains anthropologist Clifford Geertz's belief in "Notes on the Balinese Cockfighting" that all societies contain cultural systems that contain heavily symbolic elements. The paper discusses Geertz's example of Balinese cockfighting where the social order is reflected in the wagering and the spatial organization of the game. The paper compares this to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and goes on to show how money, social invitations and material goods all signify deeper meanings than are apparent on their surface.

From the Paper:

"According to the anthropologist Clifford Geertz, all societies contain cultural systems that can be read as texts. For example, the rituals surrounding cockfighting in Balinese culture, Geertz argues can be interpreted and re-interpreted much like we interpret "Macbeth" in an English class. Cultural systems contain heavily symbolic elements that can reveal aspects of the culture. Such systems are dynamic and work to affect and change the culture. In Balinese cockfighting, the social order is both reflected in the wagering and the spatial organization of the game in a way that is symbolic, and transcends the ability to make money from betting. The process of playing the game affects the culture and expresses the culture."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. The University of Adelaide Library. 2005. 25 Feb 2008. http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/f/fitzgerald/f_scott/gatsby/
• Geertz, Clifford. "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight." Interpretive Social Science. Editors Paul Rabinow & William Sullivan. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979.

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