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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do ambiguities allow for?

2. When comparing culture, what does Douglas believe should be analyzed through the nature of historical process?

3. To maintain universal order, what does Douglas believe must occur?

4. According to Douglas, morality is wrongly assumed to protect who?

5. Which of the following transmits disease and has a toxic influence, according to Douglas?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is sequentiality vital to the rituals that Douglas describes?

2. What do rituals embrace as described in the reading?

3. What was Smith's perception of magic?

4. What were Robertson's beliefs?

5. What is the role of men-centered religions on a culture as described by Douglas?

6. Describe medical materialism as it is described in Purity and Danger.

7. What is the anti-ritual prejudice that Douglas describes?

8. How is schematizing disrupted, according to Douglas?

9. How has anthropology shown the distinction between primitive and modern cultures?

10. How does the Old Testament relate to purity, in Douglas' opinion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the difference between holiness and blessing as Douglas defines them? How are both related to these concepts: morality, purity, pollution, classification, organization, separation?

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of adultery in primitive cultures as Douglas points out? How do the Nuer people deal with adultery? What about the Bemba? How does this relate to modern culture?

Essay Topic 3

According to the reading, how is harmony assured in society both externally and internally? What does collaboration have to do with internal lines? What does sexual collaboration have to do with harmony? Give examples of harmony's role in society in both primitive and modern cultures.

(see the answer keys)

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