Final answer:
Marvin Harris views food from a cultural materialist perspective, emphasizing its material and economic value, while Mary Douglas, as an interpretivist, sees food as a way to reflect and communicate cultural values, making the correct answer "C. food is good to think."
Step-by-step explanation:
In terms of analyzing cultural beliefs around food, the anthropologists Marvin Harris and Mary Douglas offer contrasting perspectives. Marvin Harris, a cultural materialist, suggests that food and the dietary practices surrounding it are shaped by the material and economic needs of a society. In the context of the Hindu reverence for cattle, Harris argues that the economic benefits of keeping cattle alive, such as their use in agriculture and the products they provide like dung for fuel and milk, outweigh the benefits of eating their meat. This perspective emphasizes the pragmatic and utilitarian value of food within a culture.
In contrast, Mary Douglas, an interpretivist, would focus on the symbolic and social meanings that cultures attach to food. She argues that food is not just about sustenance but also represents a powerful means to communicate and think about cultural values, social hierarchies, and religious beliefs. For instance, eating practices often reflect and reinforce gender roles or religious rituals, making food a key element in the expression of cultural identity. Hence, Douglas would likely say that food is "good to think" rather than merely "good to eat" as suggested by Harris.