A classic work that revolutionised how Anthropology dealt with concepts of ritual pollution and purity. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. View or download all the content the society has access to. Unlike Moore Jr.’s work on purity, Douglas’ theory differs enough from Freud to be considered a separate conceptualization. This product could help you, Accessing resources off campus can be a challenge. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published outdated, problematic methodology for an anthropological study, but faults acknowledged by the author in the foreword to the new edition. “Without the letters of condolence, telegrams of congratulations, and occasional postcards, the friendship of a separated friend is not a social reality. Douglas uses the term "primitive" too liberally to describe all the communities that aren't as skilled with technology as Western cultures. Interesting concepts of the interplay between the taboo and the holy, morality and cleanliness, purity and danger; how societies frame their worlds. Find an opposition upon which some kind of subordinating value is founded, demonstrate that each side of the opposition ne. The imprint of structural linguistics on this one is so fresh that at times it almost seems like a quaint historical document more than anything else. "Taxonomy and Taboo"; Frazer is out, but Freud is in. I knew that this was not the topic of the book but I was hoping perhaps for some transferability. How do we learn to live with some filth and yet recoil at other dirt? Here they are: force dirt into an existing category and treat accordingly; kill; quarantine; mark as dangerous; or treat as a super-signifier (39-40). Not only does Douglas highlight the logic inherent in all kinds of cultural systems, she shows that moderns are just as prone to developing such systems as pre-moderns. The language in this book is dated, but the information and subject of study - dirt and pollution - remains useful, even if just historically. Good read for a slow shift at work with citation potential ala hypothetical students of [hermeneutical] suspicion(s). Contact us if you experience any difficulty logging in. looking at the familiar process of spring cleaning in unfamiliar terms as a secular ritual). This book is, of course, a classic. September 12th 2002 Some faults in methodology (Chapter 3, ‘The Abominations of Leviticus’), but these are acknowledged in the foreword to the 2002 edition (underlining the need to read around the work itself when approaching theses that can be considered classics). Find an opposition upon which some kind of subordinating value is founded, demonstrate that each side of the opposition negatively defines the other, note that the elucidation of limits occurs based on some kind of historically situated socially-organizing principle, and then, the best part, show that a certain kind of play within the liminal spaces between terms is what allows for their generation and regeneration. I mean, what does one really say about a classic of structuralist anthropology? Sign in here to access free tools such as favourites and alerts, or to access personal subscriptions, If you have access to journal content via a university, library or employer, sign in here, Research off-campus without worrying about access issues. Interesting concepts of the interplay between the taboo and the holy, morality and cleanliness, purity and danger; how societies frame their worlds. It is not too much to say that ritual is more to society than words are to thought. By continuing to browse The imprint of structural linguistics on this one is so fresh that at times it almost seems like a quaint historical document more than anything else. In that regard Purity and Danger is well within her wheelhouse. You can be signed in via any or all of the methods shown below at the same time. The email address and/or password entered does not match our records, please check and try again. Not an easy read, but interesting and extremely worthwhile. However, Douglas does recognise the vital role both scholars played as pioneers of Anthropology as a discipline and attributes many of their misunderstandings to zeitgeist and colonial context. Mary Douglas' "Purity and Danger": Book Review Why do we let those close to us lick the same spoon, or eat off the same dish? Members of _ can log in with their society credentials below. A Little Dirt Never Hurt Anyone:: Knowledge-Making and Contamination in Materials Science, Where There Is Dirt, Is There System? The book has been hugely influential in many areas of debate - from religion to social theory. Readable, with occasional humorous comments from the author. Find out about Lean Library here, If you have access to journal via a society or associations, read the instructions below. If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. This is one of my favorite anthropology books, even if I would have preferred less on the Old Testament and more information about contemporary societies and the little taboos of everyday life. But perhaps its most important role is to offer each reader a new explanation of why people behave in the way they do. Data filled, wide-ranging in its scope, and profound in its meditations on the nature of man and his taboos, Mary Douglas's "Purity and Danger" is an important overview of the issue of prohibitions and the sacred from a classic source. It also highlights a broad swath of examples from various cultures and religions. I mean, what does one really say about a classic of structuralist anthropology? Revisiting Biblical Purity Constructions, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. If you haven't heard of record-smashing singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, is there any hope for you? But perhaps its most … I have read and accept the terms and conditions, View permissions information for this article, Click the button below for the full-text content, 24 hours online access to download content. The most surprising thing about reading Mary Douglas's 1966 anthropological classic. Book Review: Purity and Danger. So, while some of the book has been superseded by more recent research, the book itself still offers a worthwhile insight into how purity and danger plays itself out in cultures both modern and primitive. The book has been hugely influential in many areas of debate - from religion to social theory. Partly really good and interesting, partly not so much. Gabrys and other waste theorists turn to Douglas as a starting point for thinking about the relationship between dirt and systems and then variously amend her conclusions and criticize her methods. We’d love your help. Two thumbs up! In any event, there's an easy mastery in the way that Douglas performs what is now a fairly standard maneuver. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. In Purity and Danger Mary Douglas identifies the concern for purity as a key theme at the heart of every society. by Routledge, Purity and Danger: An Analysis of the Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. With a specially commissioned introduction by the author which assesses the continuing significance of the work thirty-five years on, this Routledge Classics edition will ensure that Purity and Danger continues to challenge and question well into the new millennium. The book has been hugely influential in many areas of debate - from religion to social theory. Wit. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Welcome back. By the time the book ends, with a discussion of the sacred. issuing of a new edition, together with a new self-critical preface, solidifies this position. A very academic read. If you have an individual subscription to this content, or if you have purchased this content through Pay Per Article within the past 24 hours, you can gain access by logging in with your username and password here: This site uses cookies. If you've ever suspected that "primitive" peoples aren't nearly so stupid as we are often lead to believe, this book is a great place to start. Douglas argues that many of the taboos regarding "polluted" or unclean objects in various societies have more to do with moral and symbolic impurity rather than actual hygiene. Mary Douglas criticises and debunks the claims of Robertson-Smith and Sir James Frazer that so-called primitive cultures were, collectively and individually, unable to distinguish between the 'sacred and the profane'. Performs what is now a fairly standard maneuver anthropological classic - opening up study of what seems feels. Our records, please check and try again more information view the SAGE Journals article Sharing page '' liberally! A secular ritual ) a slow shift at work with citation potential ala hypothetical students of [ ]. Suspicion ( s ) self-critical preface, solidifies this position a previously untouched subject society than words are to.! It also highlights a broad swath of examples from various cultures and religions [ hermeneutical ] suspicion ( )... 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