Purity and Danger

Douglas states that “our idea of dirt is compounded of two things, care for hygiene and respect for conventions.” Which do you think is the more important to modern society and why?

Do you think Douglas is right in wanting to preserve the use of the term “primitive” when applied to societies and cultures? Is it possible and worthwhile to use the term in a non-pejorative sense?

Douglas claims that “our professional delicacy in avoiding the term 'primitive' is the product of secret convictions of superiority.” Can you think of other examples in our society where a desire not to offend may mask a condescending attitude?

What is Douglas' overall attitude toward ritual, and how does it contrast with the attitude of the other anthropologists she cites such as Robertson Smith?

In most primitive societies, men assert their domination over women, but what are some examples Douglas cites of women claiming protection as the “weaker sex”?

According to Douglas, how does the Trickster myth of the Winnebago Indians illustrate the move of humanity toward ever greater complexity and self-awareness?

How does the Chinese practice of Feng Shui illustrate the idea that the cosmos are involved in the lives of human beings?

Discuss the ways in which Douglas, in Chapter 4, sees money as similar to primitive religious rituals.