Sociology of Disgust: Boundaries of the Body, Society, and Morality Introduction: From Biology to Social Order Disgust, often considered a basic biological emotion protecting against toxins and pathogens, in a sociological perspective emerges as a key mechanism for constructing social boundaries, maintaining order, and legitimizing inequality. Sociology investigates how an individual physiological reaction transforms into a cultural code and tool of social control, determining what (and who) is considered "pure" and "acceptable," and what is "filthy," "low," and subject to exclusion. 1. Theoretical Foundations: From Durkheim to Douglas and Elite Theories The classic work laying the foundation for the sociology of disgust is Mary Douglas's "Purity and Danger" (1966). She showed that ideas about dirt and uncleanness are not universal but systematically organized in accordance with social order. What is considered "filthy" or "repulsive" is, according to Douglas, "matter out of place" (snot in the nose is normal, snot on a tissue is waste, snot on the sleeve is disgusting). Taboos and purification rituals serve to maintain symbolic boundaries of society. Émile Durkheim pointed to the role of the sacred and the profane in uniting communities through collective rejection of the profane in his works on religion. Modern sociologists, such as Norbert Elias in the theory of the civilizational process, have shown how with the development of society, the threshold of disgust decreases, and control over bodily functions (food, bodily excretions, sexuality) becomes internalized and a marker of social status. 2. Social Functions of Disgust: Boundaries, Hierarchy, Control Enforcing symbolic boundaries: Disgust marks the boundaries between "us" and "them." Food taboos (not eating pork, insects, dogs) are a vivid example. What is food for one group causes disgust in another, reinforcing group identity. This logic extends to social groups as well: stigmatized minorities (homeless, pe ... Read more