Clifford Geertz and his study in Bali

Clifford Geertz is anthropologist who have studied research in Bali. He focuses on the Balinese cockfight although other anthropologists do not concern it. He finds out sociological meaning of cockfight in spite of hidden thing. So, he describes Balinese cockfight as a deep play. This essay focuses on what is the depth and what is the fight really about, also some important points in the study are concerned. Clifford Geertz and his wife go to Bali village for study. When they come to this village, dwellers do not pay attention and ignore them. As if they are not there. Anybody greets them, but also these people do not humiliate them. Balinese people never make an eye-contact with them, namely foreigners. Geertz uses the metaphor of gust of wind which is non-material existence. For Balinese people, Clifford and his wife are not real or they are not there or they are not material existence. Hence, this situation changes nearly ten days later. The cockfight is arranged in this village. Bali’s government bans the cockfights. Hence, even so, the cockfights are done by Balinese people. When Geertz and his wife watches the fight, the polices come there and raid. All people escape from police forces. Also, C. Geertz and his wife escape from there, too. They only fit into Balinese people. When escaping, they meet a someone from Balinese, and they go to his garden. Balinese people do not make an eye-contact with him before this time, but, after this affair, they drink tea together in garden. C. Geertz learns that Balinese people know all things about him although they ignore him. He is shocked about it. Then, all village dwellers accept them. Balinese people see and talk to them. Even they tease them about this escape story. C. Geertz and his wife fit into this society, and they share same story and emotion about this affair. It is important for him. After this affair, he is acknowledged by Balinese village. This escape is turning point. Indeed, everything changed after that. The anthropologist takes risk and makes a decision. It is, to some extent, chance. Hence, in this situation, it works out. After he is accepted by Balinese village, he realizes some things about these people. They are rather intimate and also controlled. They do not show their feelings or emotions much more. Also, these people hate animals and everything that is animal-like. For example, food is eaten quickly and lonely or babies do not crawl. All these things belong with the animal. In addition to them, although there is hierarchical status, fight is not seen among people. There are oppositions in Balinese cockfight. When he looks at the cock, he sees it as symbol of masculinity. the cocks are equal to men. So, when the cocks fight physically, actually men fight in Balinese cockfight. Also, in daily life, men use the word of cock excessively. Daily language includes imageries which is composed of cocks. Hence, the cocks excess the border of language. Balinese man spends much more time on cocks. They coddle their cocks. Also, they are interested in grooming of cocks to win the fight. The reason for this, the cock represents man’s ego or cock owner’s own self although this society does not like animals. Animals represent powers of darkness. Also, human beings represent lightness. There are a lot of disasters such as fire and flood. By doing cockfight, dark power is evoked. The cocks are sacrificed for dark power. After this cockfight, some rituals are done to get rid of these dark forces. There are full of oppositions in the cockfight, which is seen in this sentence: “In the cockfight, man and beast, good and evil, ego and id, the creative power of aroused masculinity and the destructive power of loosened animality fuse in a bloody drama of hatred, cruelty, violence, and death. ” Also, this sentence shows us emotions. People do not show emotions in daily life whereas they show it in cockfight. Also, I think these oppositions show us distinction between nature and culture. Looking at cockfight, it is immediately seen cruelty, pleasure and bad things. Hence, they are not seen in daily life. Even exact opposition is seen in their culture. Except oppositions, some information about the cockfight will be given to you. The cockfight which is center of Balinese people’s life include two cocks from two team or village. These two cocks are, to some extent, equal to each other. In this way, fight is unknown, and bets increase. This equal fight is expected by these people. Money is used in the betting, and it exchanges along hands. Indeed, it is a kind of gambling. With betting, all people take a part of this cockfight, and attention to it rises. Betting is done in two way. In the inner bet, money is collected by cock owners, neighbors and relatives. Side bets include one-to-one bets. Inner bet determines side bet. Hence, although bets take attention people, actually people do not take a part to gain money. Especially deep or unknown or relatively equal fights are desired by people, and with this kind of play, money does not exchange much more along the hands. Hence, these people do not want to lose money or people want to gain money. As I said above, people like unknown match, but this does not mean money is not important. There is different thing which attracts people except money. It is understood that it is not ordinary play, it has huge sociological meaning or immense social values. This give the cockfight deep play. In deep play, dignity or honor is risked symbolically. This make cockfight deep play actually. Also, the hierarchical status translates the cockfight. During cockfights, women, children, teenagers, poor and some disadvantaged or low-status people do not take part into cockfight. They play banking games which depend on chance. Men who play the cockfight do not approach these games. It is much more shameful situation. Also, when looking at large scale matches, there are prominent people in this society. As it is understood, there is hierarchical system which directs the cockfight. When looking at the village, there are four groups. These groups have different status. Also, all groups include different status in own construction. It reflects in the cockfight. For example, leading members of the groups are in the center bet, and group members support him, which is, to some extent, compulsory. The cockfight is dramatization of status concern. For example, the man does not support other group member if one of the members of his groups fights with this group member in the cockfight. Another example is that if your village fight other village, you need to support your own village. In individualistic level, if people hate some people, they bet in large scale to shame these people or threat their honor. Moreover, if people who are equal or who have near status or have high status fight in the cock fight, this fight is deep play. It is about prestige politics, and it is meaningful play for people. Hence, people’s status does not change in daily life. It is only symbolic situation. Actually, their life reflects into this game. Money, status, who defends whom, they all reflect into cockfight. With this play, people interpret and form their own culture again and again. Lastly, when C. Geertz studies this research, he tries to interprets texts, symbols and culture through people’s shoulders or their view point. This is his method. He says that “the culture of people is an ensemble of texts, themselves ensembles which the anthropologist strains to read over the shoulders of those to whom properly belong. ” To conclude, this essay mentions how C. Geertz is accepted by these people. By fitting into Balinese people, he is acknowledged by society. Then, it is mentioned about their daily life, importance of cocks and cockfights which include oppositions to their daily life. After that, the fact that the fight is between people, not between cocks is spoken of. It is men’s fight and game. There is a hierarchical system in the play. Society’s hierarchical status reflects into the cockfight. This give it sociological meaning. So, it is deep play. Lastly, his interpretive method is adverted in this essay.