2.1 - Mary Douglas and Cultural Importance of Risk
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Conventional Risk Management
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Today, let's talk about conventional risk management. It often focuses on probability and consequence of hazards. Can anyone tell me what you think this means?
It means they look at how likely a disaster will happen and how bad it could be.
Exactly! Conventional methods are often directive and reactive. So, if there's an identified risk, they believe there's a specific solution. For example, they might say, 'To reduce flooding risk, we must build levees.' Who can tell me what might be a limitation of that approach?
It might not consider how people view risks differently based on their backgrounds.
Great point! This leads us into the importance of cultural perspectives in understanding risks.
Cultural Perspective of Risk
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Mary Douglas argued that risk perception is heavily influenced by cultural context. How do we understand risk differently across various cultures?
Maybe cultural beliefs affect what people consider risky or safe?
Exactly! For instance, in her analysis of dietary practices, Douglas looked at the guidelines from the book of Leviticus. What can you recall about these guidelines?
They prohibit eating certain animals like pork because they’re seen as unclean.
Correct! She explored why these restrictions exist, which leads us to the concept of taxonomic anomalies.
Taxonomic Anomalies
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Taxonomic anomalies refer to how certain foods do not fit neatly into established categories. Can anyone think of such an example from Douglas's work?
Pigs have cloven hooves but don’t chew their cud, so they are seen as anomalies?
Exactly! This is a perfect illustration of how cultural classifications shape our understanding of what’s safe to eat. What’s another anomaly discussed?
Snakes live on land but have no legs, which is also rare!
Right! And these classifications create societal norms. Douglas argues that understanding these cultural norms is crucial in risk management.
Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
Standard
The section delves into Mary Douglas's ideas on how cultural contexts shape people's perceptions of risk, contrasting conventional risk management approaches that focus on technical assessments. It uses examples from her work, particularly dietary restrictions in various cultures, to illustrate how risk is often culturally constructed.
Detailed
In this section, we explore Mary Douglas's seminal ideas regarding the cultural significance of risk as articulated in her 1966 work, 'Purity and Danger'. Douglas challenges conventional views of risk management, which often rely solely on probability and consequences of hazards, by proposing that risk perception is deeply rooted in socio-cultural contexts. She demonstrates this perspective through examples of dietary restrictions observed in different cultures, particularly focusing on Jewish dietary laws from the book of Leviticus. In her analysis, Douglas introduces the concept of 'taxonomic anomalies' to explain why certain foods, like pork, are seen as risky or impure in certain cultures while not in others. By examining these cultural distinctions, she argues for a broader understanding of risk that incorporates the complex societal and emotional factors influencing people's behaviors and decisions. Douglas's work emphasizes the necessity to consider cultural contexts in disaster risk management to improve communication and encourage preparedness against risks.
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Conventional vs. Cultural Perspectives on Risk
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Chapter Content
They generally have 2 way of conventional risk management; disaster risk management, they are very directive, they are saying that okay in order to reduce the risk, you should do that you have some specific goals and you have some specific actions to perform and while doing it, they are also very reactive, they think that this is the only way to solve the problem, okay, this is the only way to solve the problem.
Detailed Explanation
Conventional risk management focuses on specific goals and actions aimed at reducing risk. It is directive and often perceived as reactive, meaning it responds to risks only after they occur. The approach considers probability and consequences of disasters without taking into account how culture influences people's perceptions of risk.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a town that has frequent flooding. The conventional approach might involve building a stronger dam or implementing emergency procedures after a flood occurs. However, if the town understands its cultural practices around land use and community involvement, it might find ways to prevent floods through better community planning and education.
The Role of Socio-Cultural Context
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So, target is set and now how to implement that target and that’s it but there are some other perspective of risk, they are saying that it is not that external stimulus that determines people's risk perceptions but it is the socio-cultural context or individual characteristics that define the way people perceive risk.
Detailed Explanation
The socio-cultural context plays a vital role in shaping risk perceptions. Instead of only focusing on the actual hazards, it's critical to recognize that individuals interpret risks based on their cultural backgrounds, experiences, and social interactions. This means that the same risk can be perceived differently across different cultures or groups.
Examples & Analogies
Consider how different communities view natural disasters. For instance, specific cultures might view hurricanes as a challenge to overcome, adopting communal strategies to recover, while others might see it as a threat to individual safety leading to varied responses to preparation and recovery efforts.
Mary Douglas' Inquiry on Dietary Laws
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She was studying Leviticus, I think you know Leviticus, it’s a kind of religious book; law book that gives you guidelines about the morals; what to do, what not to do, what do it okay, so this is a third book of the Israeli people, the Jews people and the book of the Leviticus from the Greek word it has came.
Detailed Explanation
Mary Douglas explored the dietary laws outlined in Leviticus, a religious and moral guide for Jewish people. These laws reflect cultural beliefs about purity and danger in food consumption. Douglas' analysis suggests that such cultural rules inform how communities perceive risks, particularly regarding food.
Examples & Analogies
Think of veganism or vegetarianism, which some individuals adopt not just for health reasons but as part of a broader ethical belief system. Similarly, Leviticus guided ancient Jewish culture in dietary choices based not on health alone, but on cultural and spiritual ideals.
Understanding Taxonomic Anomalies
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Now, what is taxonomic anomalies on dietary restrictions? ... Mary Douglas was trying to understand why this is so and then she came up with the idea, taxonomic anomalies on dietary restrictions.
Detailed Explanation
Douglas introduced the concept of 'taxonomic anomalies' to explain certain restrictions in dietary laws—that is, how specific animals break the typical classifications made by cultural categories of clean and unclean food. For example, pigs have features that qualify them as clean but lack a characteristic (chewing cud) that would make them acceptable within Jewish dietary laws.
Examples & Analogies
This concept can be seen with fruits that are perceived as both delicious and potentially harmful, like cherries. They might be favorites in pies but are also linked to gout due to their high purine content, similar to the way certain animals might be considered acceptable but also potentially dangerous within specific dietary laws.
Cultural Constructs of Risk
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Similarly, in Muslim culture also, the concept of Halal and Haram actually distinguish what is risky to it and what is not, what is pure, what is dangerous or polluted okay so, risk according to that way, it’s not the external stimulus that determined but risk is basically, culturally constructed, we are culturally biased.
Detailed Explanation
In cultures such as Islam, the concepts of Halal (permissible) and Haram (forbidden) guide dietary practices, framing what is considered pure or dangerous. This highlights the idea that cultural beliefs shape perceptions of risk, suggesting that risk management should consider cultural constructs rather than solely relying on scientific assessments.
Examples & Analogies
Consider how certain practices around food vary globally—while some cultures may see raw fish as a delicacy (like sushi), others might regard it as risky and unclean. This shows how cultural backgrounds can significantly alter perceptions of what is safe or risky.
Key Concepts
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Cultural Significance: The idea that risk perceptions are shaped by cultural beliefs and practices.
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Risk as Construction: Understanding that risk is not only a scientific fact but also a culturally constructed idea.
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Societal Norms: The rules and practices that arise from cultural beliefs, influencing how risks are perceived and managed.
Examples & Applications
The prohibition of pork in Jewish dietary laws illustrates how cultural beliefs shape food-related risk perceptions.
In Hindu culture, cows are considered sacred, affecting dietary choices and practices regarding animal consumption.
Memory Aids
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Rhymes
In cultures diverse, perceptions do hold, / What’s safe and what’s risky, each story is told.
Stories
In a small village, people avoided certain animals based on their traditions. A wise elder explained how each belief, like the cow's sacredness, shaped their way of life, making them cautious of what they consumed.
Memory Tools
C.R.I.S.I.S. for understanding risk: C for Culture, R for Response, I for Individual, S for Societal, I for Impacts, S for Solutions.
Acronyms
P.A.C.E. for dietary restrictions
for Perceptions
for Anomalies
for Culture
for Eating habits.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Conventional Risk Management
The practice of managing risk based on probability and hazard consequences without considering cultural contexts.
- Cultural Perspective
A viewpoint that emphasizes the influence of cultural contexts on individuals' understanding and perception of risk.
- Taxonomic Anomalies
Foods or organisms that do not fit neatly into established classifications, resulting in cultural dietary restrictions.
- Leviticus
A book in the Bible that provides guidelines about dietary laws and moral conduct for the Israelite community.
Reference links
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