Clifford Geertz's "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" is a seminal work in the field of anthropology. The essay, which was written in the 1960s as Geertz and his wife carried out fieldwork in various provinces of Indonesia, reflects a turning point, not only in the study of Indonesian culture, but in the way in which anthropologists try to understand culture.
Through his examination of the tradition of the Balinese cockfight, Geertz shows that deeply meaningful codes, stories and symbols appear in even the most unexpected of places, and that understanding culture requires understanding these, as well. Geertz's reflection on how the Balinese people understand these interesting...
