Ritual Essays

Ritual is one of the key concepts in the sociology of religion. Emile Durkheim (1965) posited a relationship between ritual behavior and the adherence to social order, putting collective veneration of the sacred at the heart of his theory of social solidarity. Ritual, organized around sacred objects as its focal point and organized into cultic practice, was for Durkheim the fundamental source of the “collective conscience” that provides individuals with meaning and binds them into a community

The article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” describes the culture of the Nacirema. Horace Miner stated that the Nacirema tribe view the human body as ugly. These people do rituals and ceremonies to prevent being unattractive. Miner indicated different kind of rituals and ceremonies practiced by the Nacirema. She pointed out that these behaviors begin at their home. According to Horace Miner, the shrine in each household centers the rituals and ceremonies of the Nacirema. In addition to the

Coming of age rituals have been passed down from generation to generation and whether these rituals are a necessity has been questionable. Most people would argue that coming of age rituals are just a way to keep their culture, but it is more than that. Coming of age rituals help build new characteristics that would be beneficial to them in the future. These rituals not only benefit character but also can be cathartic for the person doing the ritual. Coming of age rituals allow for the children who

is sacred through ritual transformation that casts blessings on the entire community. Which continues to challenge the idea of it being an isolated rite to the girl. But all of the rituals within the ceremony are isolating to the girl

Rituals are a part of what makes a society. In order to understand someone of a different sociological background you must think outside of the box. Culture is typically based on rituals in which culture defines its reality and acceptable behavior and chooses its authorities. Rituals are typically described as what you do on a regular basis, which is repeated for a long period of time. In the article ‘Body Ritual Among the Nacirema’ written by Horace Miner he goes on to describe the culture and rituals

with each other are highly ritualized. Rituals are recurring sets of behaviors that happen in the same patterns every time they take place. Almost all rituals do not have empirical connection between the means of them and the desired end; therefore, rituals are known as irrational acts. Rituals have experienced a retreat from the leading positions of anthropological thoughts. In the article “Baseball Magic,” by George Gmelch, he describes different rituals, taboos, and fetishes baseball players preform

Rituals in Lord of the Flies The slogan “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” are chanted by the boys in William Golding’s novel Lord of the flies, while they decide to hunt after the ritual or do the ceremonial dance. The rituals are one of the most important elements in the story that had considerable influence on the establishment and disruption of boys’ group, and led to Simon’s death. Golding presents rituals represent different stuff under the dissimilar situations. He first points

In Horace Miner's Body Ritual among the Nacirema, Miner depicted the Nacirema as a culture obsessed with rituals who focused on the human body as a whole. Miner (1956, p.503) stated that the fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that it's natural tendency is to debility and disease. This paper aims to show the main points of the article, how it is different and similar to todays modern society, and how it shows the culture of consumption and

Originally published in 1956, Body Ritual of the Nacirema is an article written by world renowned anthropologist Horace Miner. In this article, Miner tells of his encounters with a Native American Tribe located between Canada and Mexico. This tribe is a culture obsessed with rituals that rely heavily on the image of their body and how it is judged by other individuals. The Nacirema believe that the body is ugly, and only through daily rituals can one find happiness and prosperity. In the article

Horace Miner, the author of “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”, used very interesting and descriptive choice of words to describe the routines that modern Americans go through from an outsider point of view. He gives different terms to describe mundane routines, like brushing your teeth, and exaggerate the details as something that is bizarre. Some rituals Miner described as illogical because there was a low rate of success in what they are trying to achieve. This reveals that what determines something

An Inside of the Past Ritual Event Too often when we follow our traditional practices, but we never ask one simple question that why we are doing them. In my experience, I am accustomed to my traditions because of my cultural and ethnic backgrounds. That is how I am raised and taught by my parents from day one. As I grow older, I am still practicing them because they are part of me. For example, the Vietnamese tradition is that the children have to go see their parents and grandparents on

In Horace Miner’s “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” he describes various habits and traditions the Nacireman people go through in everyday life and throughout the year. Miner also describes different places and how the people interact with each other as a society. While describing some of the customs, he points out how barbaric and sometimes inhumane the rituals are. Another reoccurring topic is the Nacireman people’s ideas of beauty and what ways to make themselves better looking. Miner concludes

Body Ritual Among the Nacirema by Horace Miner describes the compelling culture of the Nacirema natives and the core beliefs that drive them to the extremes they exercise. It is apparent what Horace’s opinion of their practices are, as he is both fascinated and horrified to learn what these people do to preserve life. The Nacirema, as stated in the reading, dedicate a considerable portion of their day in ritual activity. They prioritize the health and appearance of the human body, using ceremony

love towards your religion. However, imagine sacrificing many things or even killing an animal for your “Gods.” Even though Christianity and Islam are both monotheistic religions, and sacrificing or killing an animal would not be pleasant, it was a ritual in Ancient Greece. In the Ancient Greek world, religion was present in all areas, and it played an important role in their everyday lives. Ancient Greeks worshipped many Gods that had superhuman strengths or ageless beauty but appeared in the human

religion encompass alone are often not enough to compel one to follow the religion. Symbols and rituals are vital for helping the believer to take beliefs and make them understood internally in a way that compels them to follow the religion’s rules. This internalization of the concepts of a religion provide meaning and base from which the believer understands the world. There are many prominent symbols and rituals in the Zoroastrian faith. One of which is a

traditional methods did not shatter when used over open fire. Some vessels were used for religious rituals.

“Apache girl rite of passage” are about two kids that are growing up to become a little bigger than they were. They both go through rituals to be older to show that they are ready to become adults. These stories have some similarities and differences throughout the whole story and video. The “Medicine bag” is a boy and “ Apache girl” is a girl that is going through this ritual. Similarities for “The medicine bag” and “Apache girl rite of passage” are that one is that both of them are kids growing up

Myths, or sacred stories, are vital to our world, and even serve as a guide for life today. Genesis 1 and 2 present the myths of creation and God’s design for human life. The Mythic Dimension can be applied to these texts by analyzing their social, psychological, ritualistic, and cosmological functions. The social function of Genesis 1 and 2 focuses on establishing a sense of shared history within the Israelite community. Genesis 1 and 2 differ in a couple ways when explaining the origin of life

The ancient earthwork known as the Nazca Lines, located on the high desert plains of Peru, is the most unusual drawing in the world. Some lines are straight and geometrical, while there are also depictions of animals, plants, and humans. In the drawing, lines define the shape onto the landscape at such enormous scale that it can only be seen from the sky. In fact, the Nazca Lines were first discovered by overflying commercial aircraft. One of the most intriguing designs of Nazca is the one which

Commemorative rituals are rituals that are commemorated either at a particular time of the year or a period since an important event. Regardless of the huge changes in culture, mostly due to the influence of technology, commemorative rituals such as Easter and Anzac Day have maintained significance in relation to their religious and secular purposes and involvement in the community throughout the years. This has highlighted the significant effect they have on culture and behaviour. Quote from Bluestein