Matter Out of Place: Anthropological Explorations of Bodies, Dirt and Morality

Anthropologists often use ’pollution’ to refer to social and individual challenges to a cultural idea of purity, which may be seen in terms of religious practice, foodstuffs and social differentiation. It has been used as a trope to explore ideas of dirt and place, moral inversion and reinforcement, disgust and taboo. The book is an invitation to consider the continued relevance of Mary Douglas’ conceptualization of pollution and dirt as ’matter out of place’ in relation to contemporary circumstances. Its ethnographic and theoretical contributions cover diverse contexts, ranging from Europe to Africa, the Caribbean, India and Outer Space.

Joseph Calabrese is Reader in Medical Anthropology at University College London. He has undertaken fieldwork in the Navajo Nation, Haiti, the USA, and Bhutan.