MEANING
A context-rich account that interprets actions and their cultural meanings, not just surface behavior.
Use it for
Name context-rich interpretation of observed behavior.Helps distinguish reporting what happened from interpreting what an action means in context.
Words that belong together
- provide thick description
- thick description of a practice
- interpretive thick description
On the page
The ethnography’s thick description showed why the ritual mattered to participants.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- thick description
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Usage notes
The term is associated with interpretive anthropology; it means contextual interpretation, not merely a long or detailed account.
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