Anthropology's Goal: Making the Strange Familiar

The assertion that the work of anthropology involves the task "to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange" is famously attributed to Clifford Geertz. This statement captures a fundamental aspect of anthropological inquiry.

Understanding Geertz's Perspective

Clifford Geertz, a prominent figure in symbolic anthropology, believed that culture should not be viewed merely as structures or behaviors, but as a system of meanings. His approach emphasized interpretation. The quote suggests:

• Making the Strange Familiar: Anthropology aims to help us understand cultures and practices that are different from our own. By studying them closely, using methods like ethnography, anthropologists break down the 'strangeness' and reveal the underlying logic, meanings, and coherence within those different cultural systems, making them comprehensible (familiar) to outsiders and even to the members of that culture when viewed analytically.
• Making the Familiar Strange: Conversely, anthropology also encourages us to look at our own familiar customs, beliefs, and social structures from an outsider's perspective. This critical distance helps us to see that things we take for granted might not be universal or natural, revealing their culturally specific nature and prompting deeper reflection on our own societal norms.

Clifford Geertz and Symbolic Anthropology

Geertz's work, particularly his concept of "deep play" and his focus on interpreting cultural symbols (like cockfights in Bali), exemplifies this dual process. He saw the anthropologist's role as a "thick describer" – going beyond surface actions to uncover the layers of meaning embedded within them. This interpretive process inherently involves both understanding the unfamiliar and questioning the taken-for-granted aspects of the familiar.

Why Clifford Geertz?

While other anthropologists like Victor Turner explored symbolism and ritual, and James Clifford focused on issues of representation in ethnography, the specific phrasing "make the strange familiar and the familiar strange" is most closely and frequently associated with Clifford Geertz's reflections on the nature and goals of anthropological study. Melford Spiro's work focused more on psychological anthropology.

Therefore, Clifford Geertz is the anthropologist credited with this insightful assertion about the core mission of anthropology.