"I've often been accused of making anthropology into literature, but anthropology is also field research. Writing is central to it"
- Clifford Geertz
About this Quote
Clifford Geertz is recommending that anthropology is not just about writing, but likewise about field research study. He is implying that although he has actually been implicated of making sociology into literature, writing is still a central part of the discipline. Geertz is highlighting the importance of both field research study and writing in sociology. He is recommending that the 2 are linked and that one can not succeed without the other. By making this statement, Geertz is highlighting the importance of both elements of anthropology and how they are both essential for a successful anthropological study. He is likewise highlighting the significance of writing in anthropology, as it is a key part of the discipline.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it"
