Imagine you see someone raise their hand. What does it mean? Are they waving hello? Trying to answer a question? Signaling for help? Without context, you can only describe what happened in the simplest terms: "A person lifted their arm." This is an example of thin description—a surface-level account of human behavior that does not capture deeper meaning.
The concept of thin description comes from the work of British philosopher Gilbert Ryle, who introduced it to differentiate between mechanical observation and interpretation. Later, anthropologist Clifford Geertz expanded on Ryle’s idea in his theory of thick description, which emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural meaning beyond mere actions.
Thin description is essentially a factual report of behavior, stripped of cultural or symbolic interpretation. It answers what happened but not why it happened or what it means to the people involved.
For example:
- A thin description of a wink would be: "A person closed and opened one eye."
- A thick description would ask: "Was the wink playful? Ironic? A secret signal? A cultural gesture?"
Why Thin Description Falls Short
Thin description is useful for objective reporting but fails to capture human experience. If we only rely on thin descriptions, we risk misunderstanding the deeper layers of social interaction.
Take a religious ritual. A thin description might say: "A group of people gathered, lit candles, and chanted words." But this does not explain the emotional, historical, or spiritual significance of the ritual. A thick description would explore how participants understand the ritual, what it symbolizes, and why it matters.
In summary, thin description gives us the facts, but it is only the starting point. To truly understand human behavior, we need thick description—an interpretive approach that reveals the layers of meaning behind actions. Without it, we risk seeing only the surface while missing the deeper truths that shape culture and society.
