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Mary Douglass Purity And Danger Summary

1226 Words5 Pages

Koume Ono
Ritsumeikan University
Introduction to Anthropology

The most surprising thing to me about reading Mary Douglas anthropology book, Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo, is that I was actually fascinated about everything she argues in the book, many things I had questioned about but did not know the answer or simple facts that make you realized how our society structure works. Which is why in these book review paper I will emphasize more in some chapters rather than the book itself in one big paragraph.
Mary Douglas, analyses the ideas of pollutions and taboo in different cultures and also different timing (primitive cultures, modern cultures) focusing in the Gestalt psychology. However, one of the things I liked the most about her writing style is that she avoided limited explanations, explained everything in details and giving examples making it easier for the …show more content…

Douglas mentioned the primitive ritual of hygiene comparing to our ideas is totally different, even our comparison of uncleanness is different. However, I agree with her statement, in which she claims our washing, scrubbing, isolating, and disinfecting is only for superficial purposes and not purification meanings. Our acts are principally focused on hygiene, on the contrary theirs are symbolic; we kill germs and viruses, they deviate spirits.
Personally my favorite chapter “The Abominations of Leviticus”, in which Mary Douglas analyzed examples from the book of Leviticus, focusing principally on the dietary rules. At first, she mentioned Leviticus he claims we as humans are always looking for physical perfection, no matter what religion you practice. As an example, if there is a person with leper we separate him until he recovers. Holiness was given as a physical expression to see their body as a perfect container (p.

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