View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the only types of ideas that Douglas believes should be adopted?

2. Which of the following are a part of primitive views, according to Douglas?

3. According to the reading's example, what act can be purified through sacrifice?

4. What does Douglas believe that laws and rules involving food and eating were made to deal with?

5. In modern societies, how does Douglas believe that wealth distributed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conclusions did Malinowski come to when he studied primitive cultures?

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

3. What does Douglas believe you need to understand to study purity?

4. Describe the role of compatibility for the Israelites.

5. What is isolation's role in health concerns?

6. How is schematizing disrupted, according to Douglas?

7. Describe purification as it relates to Sumerian civilization.

8. Describe economic reality in relation to primitive and modern cultures, according to Douglas.

9. What are the differences between primitive cultures and modern cultures in regard to the rules Douglas states?

10. Which cultures does Douglas describe as avoiding pollution and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you need to study to understand purity, according to Douglas? What is purity? What is contagion? What is pollution? How are these concepts related?

Essay Topic 2

How do some societies attempt to control danger, according to Douglas? Are they successful? Why or why not? What are the benefits to controlling power? Are there any downsides? How are marginal states related to danger? Can marginal states be controlled? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Assess the argument for primitive cultures being more modern than primitive. Argue for or against this claim and provide at least 3 sources of evidence.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 589 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample