INTRODUCTION For this essay, I will be reflecting on Sherry Ortner’s literature on key symbols. This essay will build on Ortner’s (1973) argument on key symbols in a culture, using my chosen key symbol Gaelic football to convey that this signifies a symbol of Irish culture. For this paper I empirically experienced in ethnographic fieldwork with an experienced individual in the realm of Gaelic football.
Key information on interviewee
This interviewee is male and his background with Gaelic football is currently a senior manager of under 21s boys Gaelic team in North Dublin. Formerly, this interviewee chosen has been involved in Gaelic football for over 32 years, playing for Country Derry minors in the late 1970s and, managing and coaching …show more content…
The interviewee in particular, was raised with Gaelic football and this symbol a major aspect in his family’s life along with the being raised as Irish as his first language. The interviewee was raised in county Derry where played for the Derry Minors Gaelic football team in the mid-1970s and moved to Dublin in the 1980s.Analysing this information, I reflected on Ortner’s term ‘key scenario’ in relation to the chosen key symbol Gaelic football presenting somewhat of a wealth or goal appropriate for certain divisions of society (Ortner, 1973:1341). Following this, I proposed the question asking if Gaelic football give some kind of status or convey any links with success in your family or society. In response to my assumption, the interviewee laughed and began to show light humour that playing the game had the ‘girls chasing him’, he then elaborated on making it to the minors gave me a bit of status in my family because nobody ‘ had ever made it to the minors’. Analysing this response, I pondered about the response on ‘girls chasing me’, evidently at this time Gaelic footballers must of signified somewhat of successful living in relation to Ortner’s literature on elaborating symbols in which give a clear cut mode of action and successful living in a culture (Ortner, 1973:1441) Interestingly, when asking the interviewee what is it that he finds Gaelic football distinctive to any other sport like hurling or rugby, his response is that Gaelic football other than it’s similarities with hurling in rules and its differences like not playing with a hurl, the interviewee states that the game itself is probably the most physical sport itself when you compare it to football or basketball when you can only use your hands or legs when in play. For my interpretation, I couldn’t see what distinction the interviewee was proposing, so I tried asking for
Key information on interviewee
This interviewee is male and his background with Gaelic football is currently a senior manager of under 21s boys Gaelic team in North Dublin. Formerly, this interviewee chosen has been involved in Gaelic football for over 32 years, playing for Country Derry minors in the late 1970s and, managing and coaching …show more content…
The interviewee in particular, was raised with Gaelic football and this symbol a major aspect in his family’s life along with the being raised as Irish as his first language. The interviewee was raised in county Derry where played for the Derry Minors Gaelic football team in the mid-1970s and moved to Dublin in the 1980s.Analysing this information, I reflected on Ortner’s term ‘key scenario’ in relation to the chosen key symbol Gaelic football presenting somewhat of a wealth or goal appropriate for certain divisions of society (Ortner, 1973:1341). Following this, I proposed the question asking if Gaelic football give some kind of status or convey any links with success in your family or society. In response to my assumption, the interviewee laughed and began to show light humour that playing the game had the ‘girls chasing him’, he then elaborated on making it to the minors gave me a bit of status in my family because nobody ‘ had ever made it to the minors’. Analysing this response, I pondered about the response on ‘girls chasing me’, evidently at this time Gaelic footballers must of signified somewhat of successful living in relation to Ortner’s literature on elaborating symbols in which give a clear cut mode of action and successful living in a culture (Ortner, 1973:1441) Interestingly, when asking the interviewee what is it that he finds Gaelic football distinctive to any other sport like hurling or rugby, his response is that Gaelic football other than it’s similarities with hurling in rules and its differences like not playing with a hurl, the interviewee states that the game itself is probably the most physical sport itself when you compare it to football or basketball when you can only use your hands or legs when in play. For my interpretation, I couldn’t see what distinction the interviewee was proposing, so I tried asking for