Mary Douglas Books
Mary Douglas (1921–2007) was a British anthropologist known for her influential work on human culture, symbolism, and social structures. Educated at Oxford, she became one of the most prominent figures in social anthropology, with major contributions including 'Purity and Danger' and 'Natural Symbols'.
Known for: Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo
Books by Mary Douglas
Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo
Purity and Danger is a seminal work in anthropology by Mary Douglas, first published in 1966. The book explores the concepts of purity, pollution, and taboo across cultures, arguing that ideas of cleanliness and contamination are deeply tied to social order and symbolic boundaries. Douglas examines how societies construct notions of danger and impurity to maintain cultural coherence and moral systems.
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The Concept of Dirt
I begin with dirt, because dirt is the simplest and most effective entry point into understanding purity and pollution. Dirt, as I suggest, is not an intrinsic material substance. It is, rather, matter out of place. It represents disorder—something that violates a system of classification. Dust on t...
From Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo
Ritual and Order
Ritual is the most visible form of a society’s concern for maintenance and renewal of order. What is often dismissed by outsiders as mere ceremony is, in effect, a profound act of social housekeeping—a collective reaffirmation that things still reside in their proper places. Rituals of purification ...
From Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo
About Mary Douglas
Mary Douglas (1921–2007) was a British anthropologist known for her influential work on human culture, symbolism, and social structures. Educated at Oxford, she became one of the most prominent figures in social anthropology, with major contributions including 'Purity and Danger' and 'Natural Symbol...
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Mary Douglas (1921–2007) was a British anthropologist known for her influential work on human culture, symbolism, and social structures. Educated at Oxford, she became one of the most prominent figures in social anthropology, with major contributions including 'Purity and Danger' and 'Natural Symbol...
Mary Douglas (1921–2007) was a British anthropologist known for her influential work on human culture, symbolism, and social structures. Educated at Oxford, she became one of the most prominent figures in social anthropology, with major contributions including 'Purity and Danger' and 'Natural Symbols'. Her research often focused on how societies use classification and ritual to create meaning and order.
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Mary Douglas (1921–2007) was a British anthropologist known for her influential work on human culture, symbolism, and social structures. Educated at Oxford, she became one of the most prominent figures in social anthropology, with major contributions including 'Purity and Danger' and 'Natural Symbols'.
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