Purity and pollution refer to states of being, actions, objects, and persons that have oppositional meaning and value according to a symbolic system of classification in historical context. These terms do not refer only to cleanliness and dirtiness, but become metaphors for morality and social norms. They operate within and between societies and cultural systems, serving to differentiate others along axes of class, religion, race, ethnicity, age, capability, gender, and sexuality.
