292:, and William W. McCorkle, Jr. have been involved in experimental, ethnographic, and archival research on how ritualized actions might inform the study of ritualization and ritual forms of action. Boyer, Liénard, and McCorkle argue that ritualized compulsions are in relation to an evolved cognitive architecture where social, cultural, and environmental selection pressures stimulate "hazard-precaution" systems such as predation, contagion, and disgust in human minds. McCorkle argued that these ritualized compulsions (especially in regard to dead bodies vis-à -vis, mortuary behavior) were turned into ritual scripts by professional guilds only several thousand years ago with advancement in technology such as the domestication of plants and animals, literacy, and writing.
120:, showed that ritualization was an important process in their development. He showed that the geese obsessively displayed a reflexive motor pattern of egg retrieval when stimulated by the sight of an egg outside their nest. Similarly, in the shrews, Lorenz showed that once they had become used to jumping over a stone in their path, they went on jumping at that place after the stone was taken away. This sort of behaviour is analogous to
130:
in 1910 and Lorenz from 1935 onwards studied the triumph ceremony in geese; Lorenz described it as becoming a fixed ritual. It involves a rolling behaviour (of the head and neck) and cackling with the head stretched forward, and occurs only among geese that know each other, meaning within a family or
300:
Ritualization is a crucial process that transforms ordinary actions, behaviors, and events into rituals imbued with cultural, social or religious significance. Understanding the concept of ritualization and its various functions provides valuable insights into human societies and cultural practices.
165:
Ritualization facilitates the transmission of cultural knowledge, values, and traditions across generations. They help preserve cultural heritage and maintain continuity with the past. By participating in rituals, individuals learn about their culture, internalize its norms, and pass it on to future
19:
refers to the process by which a sequence of non-communicating actions or an event is invested with cultural, social or religious significance. This definition emphasizes the transformation of everyday actions into rituals that carry deeper meaning within a cultural or religious context. Rituals are
79:
In recent years, scholars have continued to study rituals from a variety of perspectives, including the cognitive, evolutionary, and neuroscientific. These studies have resolved the origins, functions, and effects of ritual behavior and opened up new ways for understanding its role in human society
211:
is a shared mindset among all members of the society, forming a moral community. The core of this type of society is a sacred collective ideal that embodies the group's virtues and serves as a source of identity. Consequently, individuals in these societies are united by shared values, norms, and
215:
Ritualization is crucial for maintaining mechanical solidarity. Rituals allow group members to experience the power of the group over the self. Additionally, ritualization in the form of punishment for deviance serves as a potent method for curbing deviant behavior in traditional societies. By
20:
symbolic, repetitive, and often prescribed activities that hold religious or cultural significance for a certain group of people. They serve various purposes: promoting social solidarity by expressing shared values, facilitating the transmission of cultural knowledge and regulating emotions.
237:
In
Collins’ paper, he builds upon Durkheim's ideas and proposes that rituals generate emotional energy, which in turn fosters social solidarity. Through a series of “interaction ritual chains,” individuals feel connected to one another and experience a sense of belonging.
174:
Rituals provide a structured way for individuals to express and regulate their emotions. They offer a context for processing complex emotions, such as grief, joy, or gratitude, and can help people cope with significant life events, transitions, or loss.
230:,” a state of social unity and cohesion that emerges during rituals or other shared experiences, transcending the ordinary divisions and hierarchies within society. On this basis, individuals participating in rituals temporarily set aside their
156:
Ritualization fosters social solidarity by bringing people together and strengthening social bonds. They create a sense of belonging, shared identity, and unity among participants, contributing to the overall stability of a society.
131:
between mates. The triumph ceremony appears in varied situations, such as when mates meet after having been separated, when disturbed, or after an attack. The behaviour is now known also in other species, such as
301:
Future research can take a closer look at the psychological and physiological responses involved in the process and their interactions, thereby broadening the scope of ritualization studies.
54:," in which he described how certain animal behaviors, such as courtship and aggression, become more effective forms of communication through a gradual process of selection and refinement.
502:
Boyer, P and Liénard, P. "Why ritualized behavior? Precaution
Systems and action parsing in developmental, pathological and cultural rituals .” Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 29: 595–650.
61:
argued that rituals serve as a means of reinforcing social solidarity(otherwise known as social cohesion) and promoting a shared sense of identity among members of a community.
68:
In the 20th century, the study of ritual became increasingly interdisciplinary, with scholars from anthropology, psychology, and other fields exploring its various dimensions.
212:
beliefs, which are reinforced through ritualization. In traditional societies, there is a belief in a single, correct way of living, and any deviations are deemed sinful.
418:
Radesäter, Tommy (1974). "Form and
Sequential Associations between the Triumph Ceremony and Other BehaviourPatterns in the Canada Goose Branta canadensis L.".
223:
Later, his supporters, Victor Turner and
Randall Collins expanded the theory of ritualization in different directions through their own research papers.
200:
and modern societies differ fundamentally in terms of their structure and function and this is where the significance of ritualization becomes apparent.
289:
226:
Turner expands on
Durkheim's ideas by focusing on the roles rituals play in social structure and transition. He emphasizes the importance of “
253:
189:
46:, ritualization refers to the evolutionary process by which non-communicative behaviors are transformed into communicative behaviors.
39:
It has been studied in various fields, including animal behavior, anthropology, psychology, sociology and even cognitive sciences.
493:
Boyer, Pascal. "Religious
Thought and Behavior as By-Products of Brain Functions," Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol 7, pp 119–24
353:
192:(1912)”, he theorized the distinction between traditional and modern societies in terms of social solidarity. He stated
65:
focused on the role of ritual in religion and suggested that it played a crucial role in shaping beliefs and values.
247:
511:
McCorkle Jr., William W. "Ritualizing the
Disposal of the Deceased: From Corpse to Concept." Peter Lang, 2010.
281:
121:
537:
336:
Hoffman, Kurt Leroy (2016). "Animal models for studying obsessive-compulsive and related disorders".
265:
208:
204:
197:
51:
382:
57:
In the social sciences, the study of ritualization can be dated back to the 19th century.
8:
386:
106:
significance. It is found, in differing forms, both in non-human animals and in humans.
480:
435:
345:
400:
349:
193:
58:
427:
390:
341:
542:
261:
257:
217:
73:
43:
196:
is the ensemble of beliefs, which acts as the glue that holds society together.
127:
47:
521:
531:
404:
322:
317:
113:
109:
103:
69:
33:
29:
395:
370:
285:
231:
132:
117:
439:
227:
99:
375:
Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
148:
Previous studies mentioned several main functions of ritualization:
62:
431:
481:
Religion
Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought.
520:
Sociological Theory: Emile
Durkhiem and Social Solidarity, |url=
178:
95:
216:
enforcing moral boundaries, ritual punishment helps to preserve
269:
72:
emphasized the symbolic and cultural aspects of ritual, while
183:
94:
is a behavior that occurs typically in a member of a given
36:
in 1914 as ritualization (Dissanayake 2006; Lorenz 1966).
371:"The Triumph Ceremony of the Greylag Goose, Anser anser L"
338:
Modeling Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Laboratory Animals
50:
expanded the concept of ritualization in his 1951 paper "
169:
76:
explored its psychological and emotional dimensions.
329:
28:
The concept of ritualization was first described by
241:
362:
207:, characterized by a collective conscience. This
529:
179:Connecting the function to previous literature
252:Ritualization is associated with the work of
143:
411:
522:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VwoihGP_i8
23:
190:The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
417:
394:
280:More recently scholars interested in the
184:Émile Durkheim's social solidarity theory
272:with her elaboration of ritualization.
160:
335:
86:
530:
368:
102:fashion and independent of any direct
469:University of California Press, 1994
151:
467:The Naturalness of Religious Ideas.
203:Traditional societies are bound by
170:Emotional Expression and Regulation
13:
346:10.1016/b978-0-08-100099-1.00001-7
295:
14:
554:
275:
454:Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice..
505:
381:(772). The Royal Society: 477.
248:Structural ritualization theory
242:Structural ritualization theory
496:
487:
472:
459:
446:
340:. Elsevier. pp. 161–241.
311:
188:In Durkheim's famous writing “
1:
456:Oxford University Press, 1992
304:
282:cognitive science of religion
234:and come together as equals.
122:obsessive-compulsive disorder
369:Lorenz, K. Z. (1966-12-29).
220:and unity within the group.
138:
7:
32:in 1901 and later named by
10:
559:
245:
144:Functions of ritualization
116:and other animals such as
24:History of ritualization
256:. Bell, drawing on the
396:10.1098/rstb.1966.0038
246:Further information:
209:collective conscience
205:mechanical solidarity
198:Traditional societies
161:Cultural Transmission
52:The Study of Instinct
87:In non-human animals
387:1966RSPTB.251..477L
264:, has taken a less
538:Behavioral ecology
420:Ornis Scandinavica
484:Basic Books, 2001
452:Bell, Catherine.
355:978-0-08-100099-1
194:social solidarity
152:Social Solidarity
550:
512:
509:
503:
500:
494:
491:
485:
476:
470:
463:
457:
450:
444:
443:
415:
409:
408:
398:
366:
360:
359:
333:
327:
315:
42:In the field of
558:
557:
553:
552:
551:
549:
548:
547:
528:
527:
526:
516:
515:
510:
506:
501:
497:
492:
488:
478:Boyer, Pascal.
477:
473:
465:Boyer, Pascal.
464:
460:
451:
447:
432:10.2307/3676053
416:
412:
367:
363:
356:
334:
330:
316:
312:
307:
298:
296:Future insights
278:
262:Pierre Bourdieu
258:Practice Theory
250:
244:
218:social cohesion
186:
181:
172:
163:
154:
146:
141:
112:, working with
89:
83:
74:Randall Collins
44:animal behavior
26:
12:
11:
5:
556:
546:
545:
540:
525:
524:
517:
514:
513:
504:
495:
486:
471:
458:
445:
410:
361:
354:
328:
318:Lorenz, Konrad
309:
308:
306:
303:
297:
294:
290:Pierre Liénard
277:
276:Recent studies
274:
254:Catherine Bell
243:
240:
185:
182:
180:
177:
171:
168:
162:
159:
153:
150:
145:
142:
140:
137:
128:Oskar Heinroth
92:Ritualization
88:
85:
59:Émile Durkheim
48:Niko Tinbergen
25:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
555:
544:
541:
539:
536:
535:
533:
523:
519:
518:
508:
499:
490:
483:
482:
475:
468:
462:
455:
449:
441:
437:
433:
429:
426:(2): 87–101.
425:
421:
414:
406:
402:
397:
392:
388:
384:
380:
376:
372:
365:
357:
351:
347:
343:
339:
332:
325:
324:
323:On Aggression
319:
314:
310:
302:
293:
291:
287:
283:
273:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
249:
239:
235:
233:
229:
224:
221:
219:
213:
210:
206:
201:
199:
195:
191:
176:
167:
166:generations.
158:
149:
136:
134:
129:
125:
123:
119:
115:
114:greylag geese
111:
110:Konrad Lorenz
107:
105:
104:physiological
101:
97:
93:
84:
81:
80:and culture.
77:
75:
71:
70:Victor Turner
66:
64:
60:
55:
53:
49:
45:
40:
37:
35:
34:Julian Huxley
31:
30:Edmund Selous
21:
18:
17:Ritualization
507:
498:
489:
479:
474:
466:
461:
453:
448:
423:
419:
413:
378:
374:
364:
337:
331:
321:
313:
299:
286:Pascal Boyer
279:
251:
236:
232:social roles
225:
222:
214:
202:
187:
173:
164:
155:
147:
133:Canada goose
126:
124:in humans.
118:water shrews
108:
98:in a highly
91:
90:
82:
78:
67:
56:
41:
38:
27:
16:
15:
100:stereotyped
532:Categories
305:References
266:functional
228:communitas
405:0962-8436
139:In humans
63:Max Weber
284:such as
268:view of
440:3676053
383:Bibcode
96:species
543:Ritual
438:
403:
352:
270:ritual
436:JSTOR
401:ISSN
350:ISBN
326:1963
428:doi
391:doi
379:251
342:doi
260:of
534::
434:.
422:.
399:.
389:.
377:.
373:.
348:.
288:,
135:.
442:.
430::
424:5
407:.
393::
385::
358:.
344::
320:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.