Cultures and Crises

Mary Douglas was a towering figure in twentieth century social thought and theory. No one can afford to overlook this collection who is interested in what cultures are, what institutions do, how the social change occurs, how people respond to risks and dangers, and how people can live together peaceably under several kinds of rival institutions. Read together, these essays form a sinuous and profound argument about how human conflicts can get out of control, and also how - if we are careful - people can contain them. Some of these articles were written with bracing directness; others work with feline subtlety. Although they contain some of Douglas' best writing and most sophisticated arguments, most of them have long been very hard to find. This volume will show a new generation just why her arguments were so important and influential. Many who think they know Douglas' work will find insights and arguments in these studies which will surprise them, and lead them reappraise their understanding of her achievement. Perri 6, Professor in Public Management in the School of Business and Management Queen Mary, University of London Mary Douglas's insights into the use of nature to justify moral and political preferences are as irresistible as they are enduring for both the theory and practice of contemporary life. Steve Rayner, James Martin Professor of Science and Civilization at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography Oxford University