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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 moral offenses truly depend on, according to Douglas?

2. What type of behavior does the pollution Douglas describes reflect?

3. According to Douglas, what did primitive cultures see as a creative power?

4. What is the culture used as an example that treats sub-castes as minorities?

5. In South India, who can marry?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Nuer beliefs and actions.

2. Are the arguments that Douglas poses in regards to primitive cultures being thought of as primitive and neurotic valid? Why or why not?

3. Describe the Israeli rejection of dirt. How is it destructive and creative at the same time, in Douglas' view?

4. Describe the structure of the Lugbara.

5. Describe Bemba culture and beliefs.

6. Describe the enforcements of harmony that Douglas introduces.

7. Describe the treatment of ambiguities as described in Chapter 10.

8. How does Douglas state that danger can be controlled?

9. How is dirt related to madness in the cultures described in the reading?

10. Describe the Coorgs' caste system.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the different perceptions of primitive society by Durkheim, Frazer, Smith, and Robertson. How does the author of the book, Douglas, feel about each of these perceptions? Who do you feel has the most accurate views and why?

Essay Topic 2

What happens when order is absent from the cultures that Douglas describes? What factors create disorder? Do you think Douglas is accurate here?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the rationale behind classifying animals. If you were to classify animals, would your method be comparable? Why or why not? Why do you think the animals are categorized this way?

(see the answer keys)

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