Anthrologists in Disagreement over Cockfighting
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humanities/philosophy
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published 27/11/2007
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Summary
In anthropological theory there has been a clear division and consistent debate between cultural materialists and non-materialist symbolic anthropologists. Theorists such as Marvin Harris and Julian Steward are exemplary of the materialist position, while others such as Sherry B. Ortner and Clifford Geertz were concerned with cultural categories, symbols, and meanings. Using a well-known example of cultural phenomena is helpful in illustrating these theoretical differences. Consider, for this purpose, the common Balinese practice of cockfighting, which Clifford Geertz examined in his famous article Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight. Before colonial rule in Bali, the cockfight was a important facet of the culture, with the cock ring often in the center of each village. A favorite pastime of aristocrats and peasantry alike, cockfighting was an everyday occurrence. Though cockfighting is now illegal in the country (except on special holidays), it remains an important aspect of social life for the people there, and matches are still frequently held in secret. Needless to say, cockfighting is frequent and pervasive enough within Balinese culture to be an prime target for the interest and analysis for most anthropologists.
Table of Contents
- He would be interested in availability of food, types of subsistence, population size, living patterns and marriage patterns, and how these various features may have led to the cultural practice of cockfighting
- Marvin Harris would probably quite agree with Steward on a number of points, being of a similar anthropological bent.
- Sherry B. Ortner would immediately notice that female individuals are completely absent from the cockfight scene, besides as passive observers.
- The two general theoretical positions shown by these four theorists acknowledge the others' work, but see their own priorities as important for strategic reasons, depending on the goals of each.
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