Marvin Harris and Other Cultural Materialists Explain the Existence of Jewish

question 19

Multiple Choice

Marvin Harris and other cultural materialists explain the existence of Jewish and Muslim taboos on eating pork by explaining that

• A)a pig is classified as an impure animal in a system of meaning whereby only cloven-hooved animals that chew their cud are classified as pure and sacred
• B)pigs are too well adapted to life in hot climates and would quickly reproduce and destroy the natural habitat of the region
• C)the taboo is a relic of a more distant past when the ancestral Semites were Babylonian slaves and the consumption of pork was associated with their captors
• D)this taboo can be explained ecologically,but does have a social function in promoting social identity
• E)this taboo can be explained materially as pigs were abandoned when the the ancient people of Israel fled Egypt and the difficulty of herding this animal back to the land of Israel led to a taboo on pork which was later adopted by the Muslim faith

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Definitions:

Decrease in Demand

occurs when consumers are less willing to purchase a product or service at all price levels, often visualized as a leftward shift of the demand curve.

Equilibrium Price

The market price at which the quantity demanded of a product equals the quantity supplied, leading to a stable market condition.

Price-Quantity Combination

A specific point on a supply or demand curve at which a certain quantity of goods is supplied or demanded at a particular price.

Independent Plans

are strategies or courses of action devised and executed autonomously by an individual, organization, or country without external control or influence.