Mary Douglas
What’s inside
Mary Douglas’s ‘Purity and Danger’ explores how different cultures perceive cleanliness and pollution, and how these ideas form the basis for societal norms and religious beliefs.
You’ll Learn
- Understanding cultural perceptions of cleanliness
- Recognizing the relativity of societal norms
- Gaining insight into rituals and religious practices
- Developing a critical perspective on anthropological studies
Key Points
- Defining Purity and Pollution
- Cultural Relativism in Hygiene Practices
- Taboos and Social Order
- Rituals and Their Significance
- Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Cleanliness
- Critique of Previous Anthropological Theories
Who’s it For
- Anthropologists
- Sociologists
- Students of cultural studies
- Theologically interested readers
- People interested in societal norms
About the author
Mary Douglas was a British anthropologist known for her writings on human culture and symbolism, particularly in religion.