CRM 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Mary Douglas, Orthodox Judaism

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRM 101
• Professor: Margaret Buckby

Document Summary

Anthropologists find out about a system of classification by looking at ideas which some people find shocking and disgusting. These ideas are the root of prejudice and discrimination. As well, people who engage in practices contradictory to one"s own may seem barbaric and uncivilized. These cherished ideas are usually challenged whenever we travel abroad. Example: when a british resident travels to france, he finds the toilets not only to seem dirty, but constructed in a fashion unpleasant to use. Also, the british might be surprised to discover that their friends in france find a number of english habits disgusting too. Example: between india and europe, there is a separation of the uses of the right and left hands, for eating and cleaning the body respectively, make passing food with the left hand seem quite disgusting. Certain practices are forbidden in the law and custom of each society.