In Mary Douglas’s excerpt Purity and Danger, she says, “where there is dirt there is a system” (36). Douglas is saying that yes, things can be dirty, but we are the ones who define why something is dirty. By doing so, we create a system. The system is just the ideas we make up of what is considered dirty and what is considered sanitary. Since we are the ones who define the system of dirt, everyone’s system could be different. That means that someone’s idea of dirt differs to someone else’s maybe because of religion or simply the way that person has been raised. When thinking of dirt, it is not only things that are soiled or filthy but also things being out of place or not where they are supposed to be. Dirt is often times defined by
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For example, many think it is uncleanly to put your shoes on the table you eat off of. The shoes themselves are not necessarily dirty but placing them on something people eat off of makes it seem unsanitary. I agree with that system. The thought of having something that has walked who knows where or on what on the table I eat things off of is disgusting to me. That is a perfect example of a system because our graduate assistant Mr. Kearns explained to us in our last lecture that the bottoms of our shoes really are not as dirty as everyone thinks they are. It is just the association of the two objects that makes it seem unsanitary. You always hear people saying, “My room is so dirty!” In reality, their room does not have dust on the windows or stones on the floor, but they do have clothes covering the floor or flung across the bed. This is another example of matter out of place. The room would not be considered dirty if the clothes were hanging in a closet or folded up in drawers. I grew up with a very strict dirt system. My mom is the type of person who likes to keep everything clean and orderly. I often times left schoolbooks, my purse, and jackets on our dining room table, and that made my mom very upset because to her I was
For example, many think it is uncleanly to put your shoes on the table you eat off of. The shoes themselves are not necessarily dirty but placing them on something people eat off of makes it seem unsanitary. I agree with that system. The thought of having something that has walked who knows where or on what on the table I eat things off of is disgusting to me. That is a perfect example of a system because our graduate assistant Mr. Kearns explained to us in our last lecture that the bottoms of our shoes really are not as dirty as everyone thinks they are. It is just the association of the two objects that makes it seem unsanitary. You always hear people saying, “My room is so dirty!” In reality, their room does not have dust on the windows or stones on the floor, but they do have clothes covering the floor or flung across the bed. This is another example of matter out of place. The room would not be considered dirty if the clothes were hanging in a closet or folded up in drawers. I grew up with a very strict dirt system. My mom is the type of person who likes to keep everything clean and orderly. I often times left schoolbooks, my purse, and jackets on our dining room table, and that made my mom very upset because to her I was