What does "symbolic anthropology" focus on?

Question

What does "symbolic anthropology" focus on?

Answer 1

Basically, it's interpreting artifacts to understand the beliefs behind them.  It also includes behaviors like rituals, the arts and drama, and other actions.  Even the way a village is built.  It's learning about a culture when you can't talk to the members or you need to supplement/augment/verify what your informants tell you.

Answer 2

first, let's define anthropology if we can: Briefly, anthropology is the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, rituals, social customs and beliefs of humankind.

Symbolic Anthropology is the specific study of symbols we can find in these rituals, social customs and beliefs of a given culture.

To give an example: Cultural anthropology will look at a ritual, how it is done, who participates, how it changes, when....

The symbolic anthropologist will look at the symbols found in the ritual. Both have different jobs not to be confused. Each approach is different. They have a specific way for data collection, analysis, thesis. to give you an example, we can compare both roles to the ones of x-rays and MRI on the human body. they both take pictures of the same thing: the human body. yet they are so different. one takes the pics of bones structure the other of tissues, blood vessels, organs,...

Also known as symbolic and interpretive anthropology, symbolic anthropology assumes that culture is a symbolic system that originates primarily from our interpretations. It contrasts with more empirical branches of anthropology such as medical anthropology. But symbolic anthropology is extremely useful in that it will give voice to the unspoken too often denied though crucial for the understanding of a culture as a whole. Below, some links you can visit that will give you more detailed explanation: