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Book Cover
E-book
Author Douglas, Mary

Title Natural symbols : explorations in cosmology / Mary Douglas ; with a new introduction
Published London ; New York : Routledge, 1996

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Description 1 online resource (xxxvii, 183 pages) : illustrations
Contents Chapter 1 Away from ritual -- chapter 2 To inner experience -- chapter 3 The Bog Irish -- chapter 4 Grid and group -- chapter 5 The two bodies -- chapter 6 Test cases -- chapter 7 The problem of evil -- chapter 8 Impersonal rules -- chapter 9 Control of symbols -- chapter 10 Out of the cave
Summary "There are no such things as natural symbols. Every culture naturalises a certain view of the human body to make it carry social meanings. This work focuses on how the selections from blood, bones, breath or excrement, are made. Body symbolism is always in service to social intentions, and the body cannot be endowed with universal meanings." "In this now classic work Mary Douglas shows how certain forms of social life bring forth regularly the same varieties of symbolic expression. Hierarchy treats the body as a hierarchy; sect treats it as a closed system; individualism treats it as pervasive energy. Political movements as well as religions have their rituals, medicine, ethics, educational theory, aesthetics, a huge range of judgements fall into line behind the standard cultural bias."--Jacket
Notes Originally published: 2nd ed. London : Barrie and Jenkins, 1973
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-176) and index
Notes English
Print version record
Subject Human body -- Religious aspects.
Human body -- Mythology.
Symbolism.
Ritual.
Sociology.
Religion.
Human Body -- in folklore, mythology, & religion
Human Body
Sociology
Symbolism
Religion
sociology.
religion (discipline)
LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES -- Communication Studies.
Human body -- Mythology
Human body -- Religious aspects
Ritual
Symbolism
Form Electronic book
ISBN 0203036050
9780203036051
9780415138253
0415138256
9780415138260
0415138264
9786610331376
6610331375
1280331372
9781280331374
1134773749
9781134773749
1134773757
9781134773756
9781134773701
1134773706
9780203426623
0203426622