Both Douglas and Foucault agree on the idea that social maintenance and organization started with the same boundary of religion. They see religion as a strong institution that shapes categories and boundaries. These categories and boundaries take life of their own and extend their life. Their continuity is a central organizing factor. These extended lives become social institutions. Moreover, they both agree on how society is maintained and organized. Although these powerful forces of social institutions are primarily branched from religion, religion is not the only source of its foundation. Although both Douglas and Foucault look at how society is organized, they differ in idea of organization. Douglas is concerned with the idea of organization as a reflection of society and particular values while Foucault is centered with the idea of organization as mechanism of power and society.
For Douglas, anything social is a constant distinction with symbols. Although this is often lumped with both sacred and profane elements, it creates a social order and division. The sole purpose of this symbolic boundary is to maintain the whole social order. For instance, people sometimes to compare sacred and profane with civilized and savage; yet, Douglas states that it is not the case. People wash hands to …show more content…
Douglas thinks that all things are inherently meaningful. This concept of social imaginaries plays a big role in the importance of rituals. Douglas believes that humans have always been in an “ethical” system of what is right and wrong. The moral orders of both the primitive and the modern were the same to Douglas except that modern moral orders were more complex. She differs from Foucault as she considers religion as a symbol and a way to distinguish oneself from others. For instance, rituals maintain orders in society as not only a Catholic thing but a human
For Douglas, anything social is a constant distinction with symbols. Although this is often lumped with both sacred and profane elements, it creates a social order and division. The sole purpose of this symbolic boundary is to maintain the whole social order. For instance, people sometimes to compare sacred and profane with civilized and savage; yet, Douglas states that it is not the case. People wash hands to …show more content…
Douglas thinks that all things are inherently meaningful. This concept of social imaginaries plays a big role in the importance of rituals. Douglas believes that humans have always been in an “ethical” system of what is right and wrong. The moral orders of both the primitive and the modern were the same to Douglas except that modern moral orders were more complex. She differs from Foucault as she considers religion as a symbol and a way to distinguish oneself from others. For instance, rituals maintain orders in society as not only a Catholic thing but a human