“Thick description” and the interpretation of cultures: How useful is Geertz's approach today in the study of Islam in Russia?

Abstract

This article is devoted to rethinking the legacy of Clifford Geertz in the modern context and to the possibility of applying his approaches to the study of Islam and Muslims in Russia. We considered the basic principles of his methodology, based on the concepts of ‘thick description' and interpretation of cultures. Then we identified the main areas of criticism of Geertz's approaches among anthropologists, sociologists and specialists on Islam. From the 1980s, specialists in a wide range of fields of knowledge drew attention to the gap with the orientalist textual research tradition, the weak explanatory potential of ‘thick description', as well as total disregard for the political context, which ultimately led to an incorrect or at least limited interpretation of results obtained in the field. A trigger for revising this methodology in Russia was the publication of Interpretation of Cultures in 2004, and in the West - the death of Сlifford Geertz in 2006. Today, the interdisciplinarity and maximum adaptability of his approaches are of particular importance, including for Muslim studies in Russia. Applying ‘thick description' and interpretation of cultures will make it possible to overcome the current trend toward the securitization of Islam and thereby to expand the research agenda for studying the various practices of Muslim communities in Russia.