Final answer:
Marvin Harris provided explanations for dietary prohibitions in various cultures, suggesting that economic and ecological reasons underlie the religious and cultural rules against consuming certain foods, such as pork.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marvin Harris, a prominent cultural anthropologist, put forward an explanation regarding why certain cultures prohibit the eating of pork. Harris proposed that these food prohibitions may be rooted not just in religious beliefs but also in economic and ecological considerations. For instance, in the context of his work on India's sacred cattle, he argued that cows are more economically valuable alive, used for plowing fields, providing milk, and dung for fuel, rather than being consumed as meat. Thus, their sacred status within Hinduism also reflects an underlying economic rationale.
Similarly, Harris might suggest that prohibitions against pork within certain cultures could be related to the costs and benefits of raising pigs in those environments. In places where pigs are not the most efficient use of resources or where they may contribute to ecological and health issues, cultural and religious prohibitions might arise as a way to discourage their consumption. Therefore, although Harris did not specifically address pork in the provided reference, his general approach posits that religious proscriptions can often be understood in terms of their practical impact on a culture's survival and prosperity.