Mary Douglas
Mary Douglas (1921–2007) was a British anthropologist, known for her writings on human culture and symbolism. Her work was highly influential in social anthropology and she is best known for her book 'Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo' (1966), which is considered a key text in the field. Douglas' work contributed to the development of cultural theory, particularly in the areas of risk analysis and the study of ritual. Her anthropological approach was often comparative, and she drew on both her fieldwork in Africa and her analysis of Western societies to explore the ways in which social structures influence perceptions and behaviors.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Purity And Danger
This seminal work in anthropology and sociology examines the concepts of cleanliness and pollution, and how different societies and cultures categorize and respond to what they consider pure or impure. The author argues that the ideas of purity and danger are not absolute but are constructed by social contexts, serving to uphold social structures and boundaries. Through a cross-cultural analysis, the book explores how rituals, taboos, and the notion of dirt are used to create order and meaning, revealing that what is deemed dirty or polluting often symbolizes disorder and challenges to the social system. The text is a thought-provoking exploration of the symbolic systems that humans create to maintain their cultural norms and social organization.
The 3266th Greatest Book of All Time
