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Symbolic Anthropology: Victor Turner (1920-1983)

*Symbolic anthropology studies the way people understand their surroundings, as well as the actions and utterances of the other members of their society. These interpretations form a shared cultural system of meaning--i.e., understandings shared, to varying degrees, among members of the same society. *Symbolic anthropology studies symbols and the processes,such as myth and ritual, by which humans assign meanings to these symbols to address fundamental questions about human social life.

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Final answer:

Symbolic anthropology is a branch of social studies that studies symbols and their meanings in human social life. Victor Turner was an important researcher in this field.

Step-by-step explanation:

Symbolic anthropology is a branch of social studies that explores how people understand their surroundings and assign meanings to symbols to address fundamental questions about human social life. It studies symbols and processes like myth and ritual to understand the shared cultural system of meaning in a society. Victor Turner was a prominent figure in symbolic anthropology and his work focused on the analysis of symbols and rituals among the Ndembu people in Africa.

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