Mary Douglas
British social anthropologist
Dame Mary Douglas was a British anthropologist who wrote about human culture, symbolism and risk. Her book Purity and Danger is in our catalog.
1 summary 15 min of listening
British Born 1921 in Sanremo, Italy Died 2007
About Mary Douglas
Dame Mary Douglas (1921-2007) was a British social anthropologist, born in Sanremo, Italy. She was seen as a follower of Émile Durkheim and drew on structuralist analysis, and she took a keen interest in comparative religion. She taught anthropology at University College London and Princeton University. Her field research among the Lele people of Kasai-Occidental was a major part of her work. Besides Purity and Danger, her books include Natural Symbols, Risk and Culture and How Institutions Think.