Ritual Essay

Question 1

Essay Question

Answer 1

Discuss Rituals in context to religion, social order, and the personal experiences of those that take part and those that observe

Question 2

Essay Plan

Answer 2

Introduction; Definition of ritual; Approach in Ritual Study; Ritual Response; Social formulation; Community accepted; Community rejected; Pilgrimage; Conclusion

Question 3

Introduction

Answer 3

Meaning of rituals, and effects they have
Different approaches
Expectations and interpretations to individual and community

Question 4

Definition of ritual

Answer 4

Performance, planned or improvised, that effects a transition from everyday life to an alternate context, (Alexander, 1997)
The action is the point for participants, not symbolic meaning, (Bowie, 2000)

Question 5

Approach in Ritual Study

Answer 5

Concern in distinguishing effect of ritual without getting trapped in the discourse of belief
Strauss approach, between metaphoric significance and ritual action creating identification (Leach)
Durkheim suggests performance of ritual present a viewpoint of communities, focus on ‘others’ (‘us’, ‘them’) in Australian tribes including neighbours
Durkheim defended, rituals are reflections of society (windows), (Baumann, 1992)

Question 6

Ritual Response

Answer 6

Participation in rituals provides self confirmation for society and individual
Rituals intend outcomes, rain, peace, order, healing, fertility
Three positions: Narrator, Character, Audience, performers recognise own performance and gods (China greeting), (Feauchtwang, 2007)
Rituals reflect participants charisma, neglect is interpreted as negative response, meanings are socially formulated

Question 7

Social formulation

Answer 7

Meaning is socially generated, interpreting symbolic materials (how do these work?) seances among Kaluli in Papua New Guinea, (Schieffelin, 1985)
Bloch has agreed with this
However, do not answer questions of cosmology, moving beyond structure of meaning.

Question 8

Community accepted

Answer 8

Muslim dream culture, access inner and out worlds , dreams are transfigured and meaning applied.
Response to ritual (dream) is an effect on how to live life, and decisions, made real by the individual
Multiple sources of dreams, God, Devil, Nafs, to avoid contradiction, (Istikhara, 2010)
Not limited to individual, dream interpreters broaden to community level.

Question 9

Community rejected

Answer 9

In Taiwan, Mrs Chen claimed visions from God, community had to decide whether genuine, pathalogical, or faking
Other mediums in society but Mrs Chen not accepted, perhaps because of family history (Wolf, 1990)
Meaning perhaps real for Mrs Chen, but not wider community

Question 10

Pilgrimage

Answer 10

3 transformative stages, Seperation, liminality, reintergration, for Rite of Passage (van Gennep)
Rituals can have indirect effects, economic, nationalising, base (Maya cities in Mexico), (Turner)
Meaning for pilgrims but not for tourists, meaning socially generated

Question 11

Conclusion

Answer 11

Ritual is invoking performance of communication, invitation and response
Action distinct from other action
Personal and collective fate
Religious ritual is a doubling of ordinary ritual