REL 2000 Chapter : Rituals Grimes
Document Summary
Rituals transform (rather than reserve) social realities: ceremonies preserve social realities, opposite of durkheim"s view, he thought ceremonies reaffirmed the social realities (part of a bigger whole) Rites of passage in tribal societies, pilgrimage in feudal cultures, festivals in industrial. Rites often protect, rather than transform: excluding everything he wants to talk about. Caroline bynam argues that he doesn"t account for women"s lives across most cultures. Interprets liminality as a temporary respite from obligation by elite men of power (267) Catherine bell: meant to give elite men a break and not transform anything, women are rarely put into liminal positions (act outside the norm) or constantly in this state (women don"t have a clear role) She argues ritual is an invention of western scholars: but this doesn"t mean you can"t study it outside of western cultures. Rituals are distinct because they are set apart from everyday activities: believes they allow for cultural change.
