Which anthropologist is known for extensive work on death rituals in various cultures?

The correct answer highlights Clifford Geertz's significant contributions to the understanding of death rituals within various cultures through his interpretive approach to anthropology. Geertz emphasized the importance of symbols and meaning in cultural practices, including those surrounding death. His work often involved thick descriptions, where he provided detailed accounts of rituals and the meanings attributed to them by the communities involved. This methodology allows for a deeper understanding of how different cultures process death and the various rituals they employ, showcasing the diversity and complexity of these practices.

While other anthropologists, like Margaret Mead and Victor Turner, have also explored cultural practices, neither focused as extensively on death rituals specifically as Geertz did. Mead primarily studied adolescence and gender roles in different cultures, while Turner is known for his work on rites of passage and liminality, though his focus was broader rather than solely on death rituals. Carl Jung, on the other hand, was a psychologist whose theories on the collective unconscious and archetypes differ significantly from anthropological studies on cultural practices, including those dealing with death.