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Mary Douglas: an Intellectual Biography

Fardon, Richard

Authors



Abstract

This is the first full length account of the life and ideas of Mary Douglas, the British social anthropologist whose publications span the second half of the twentieth century. Richard Fardon covers Douglas' family background, and the pervasive influence of her catholic faith on her writings before providing an analysis of two of her most influential works; Purity and Danger (1966) and Natural Symbols (1970). The final section deals with Douglas' more controversial writings in the fields of economics, consumption, religion and risk analysis in contemporary societies. Throughout, Fardon highlights the centrality of Douglas' role in the history of anthropology and the discipline's struggle to achieve relevance to contemporary, western societies.

Citation

Fardon, R. (1999). Mary Douglas: an Intellectual Biography. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203020227

Book Type Authored Book
Publication Date Jan 1, 1999
Deposit Date Dec 9, 2007
Publisher Routledge
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
ISBN 9780415040921
DOI https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203020227
Additional Information Additional Information : Translated into Portuguese as Mary Douglas: uma biografia intelectual. Rio de Janeiro: Ed. UFRJ, 2004; ISBN 8571082707; 458pp