The Anthropology of Meaning

Abstract

In this work we treat the problem of symbol and its meaning in
symbolic anthropology. Since that this does not make up a
disciplinary unit, we take three authors who have formed typical
perspectives with respect to this problem: Claude Lévi-Strauss,
with a vision the emphasizes the cognitive character of
symbolism, Clifford Geertz, who has defended the relationship
between symbol and experience, and Mary Douglas who accents
the relationship between symbol and society. I will propose
that the three approaches find a common point in the notion of
the symbol centered on the exploration of the concrete character
of the forms of communication and the grasp of reality, which
are the opposite of the scientific forms characterized by the use
of specialized abstract concepts. According to this, the theories
given can be understood in terms of the dimensions of that concrete
meaning that would characterize the symbol. Starting from
the works of James Fernández and Victor Turner I will attempt
to specify some of the characteristics of symbolic meaning.