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[mary-douglas]

Cultural Risk 

I came up with this theory while I was working on my book Natural Symbols

Cultural risk is what happens in business when cultures create a system, language, normalcies, that are different from the ones around it. You might go to another country to do business but they have a different currency from you and might not be able to communicate. In turn they might avoiding doing business with you because it is to much of a difference. This is the risk someone takes when developing a new culture. 

This doesn’t just have to do with business even though that is where we see it most. It can also happen with traveling. People might avoid going to your country because they don’t understand your culture and might tell others to stay away. This could damaging for both societies and create conflict that could have been prevented.  

[mary-douglas]

Purity and Danger

This is a theory I came up with will spending time in Africa. 

Everything is either pure or impure. Our society decides what is categorized into these sections. Dirt is “a matter out of place”. It doesn’t belong in my society because that would be unhygienic. In other societies dirt isn’t considered impure, it is sometimes even worshiped. A cup belongs on the table and as soon as you knock it onto the floor it is considered garbage even if the floor was clean. 

[mary-douglas]

Social Anthropologist, environmentalist, author, mother, catholic.

I am many things. 

I live most of my like traveling to different places trying to learn how other societies work. My favorite thing is to see how different peoples religions have a impact on their society. 

I lived in Italy when I was young but moved to Britain when I was still a girl. I graduated from Oxford with my doctorate in 1949 and got married to my husband in 1951. 

I have written over 30 books and have furthered the world of anthropology through my theories.