A translation of one of the essays that i wrote for my oral exam of my Masters degree:
In science, at first rituals have only been connected with the religious area. But by now there is a number of theories and definitions on what a "ritual" is supposed to be, how they are developed and what usage they might have. David J. Krieger collected some of them in his handbook "Ritualtheorien (ritual theories), written in 1998. The amount of essays ranges from theories of the construction of rituals to visualizing the rituals by means of cultural and social events, for example, soccer play. Still, even today rituals are mainly asssosiated with big events, and less with our daily lives. But even here rituals can surely be found.
To further discuss this, there first has to be shown how rituals can be developed and how theoretical constructions of them are understood. Durkheims theory, that has been shown in the handbook, tells that rituals are ways, to socially appropriate and condition individual perception and behaviour. Rituals are supposed to construct common ideals and therefore to confirm and validate society. Thus, they are used as a mediation device between individuals, to connect them as a group and society. In this, there is a differentiation between three levels: Micro, meso and makrolevel, which all have different functions.
In science, at first rituals have only been connected with the religious area. But by now there is a number of theories and definitions on what a "ritual" is supposed to be, how they are developed and what usage they might have. David J. Krieger collected some of them in his handbook "Ritualtheorien (ritual theories), written in 1998. The amount of essays ranges from theories of the construction of rituals to visualizing the rituals by means of cultural and social events, for example, soccer play. Still, even today rituals are mainly asssosiated with big events, and less with our daily lives. But even here rituals can surely be found.To further discuss this, there first has to be shown how rituals can be developed and how theoretical constructions of them are understood. Durkheims theory, that has been shown in the handbook, tells that rituals are ways, to socially appropriate and condition individual perception and behaviour. Rituals are supposed to construct common ideals and therefore to confirm and validate society. Thus, they are used as a mediation device between individuals, to connect them as a group and society. In this, there is a differentiation between three levels: Micro, meso and makrolevel, which all have different functions.
While the macrolevel indeed is connected with "big ceremonies", the mesolevel is directed to the behaviour and conduction and the microlevel is relatead to speech. In daily life, the last two are of meaning, behaviour as well as speech. To conclude, daily rituals can be put into the micro- as well as mesolevel.
But still, through this levels alone, rituals still cannot be defined completely. Before it has been noted that rituals can help to confirm society. But for this confirmation to happen, rituals need to have a symbolic meaning. If rituals are overstepped, be it on purpose or unknowingly, the society and its order is questioned. But whether there is also a practical usage behind rituals, is another matter. This is more likely in daily life than in big events.
Most rituals develop through habit, as well as the opposite, rituals can develop habits. Routiniued daily activities are not neccessarly rituals. But they will be transformed to ritual acts, if they are followed with a certain ritual attitude. Surely in daily life these boundaries are interchangeable, and for a surveillours point of view it will always be hard to determine whether someone is making a ritual or simply a routinized task. It cannot be seen purely on the practical benefit.
If rituals in daily life are developed through socialisation and habitualisation, it is not possible to withdraw from them, be it with interhuman communications or when using objects. Even making coffee in the morning, or the way of greeting when arriving at work already can be rituals. Even if the original meaning behind an action has been lost, it still is possible to continue to conduct a ritual. It is not only the action itself that makes the ritual, but the routinized and ritualised partial steps of a task.
When rituals are developed, they can determine unwritten roules in interhuman behaviours and relationships. Through the internalized knowledge of these rituals the living together between people is made easier. The conduction of rituals does not need to be done consciously, but still rituals can give security and confidence. The breaking of rituals can also disrupt old structures and give possibilities to see new points of views. Therefore rituals are purposeful, but it can be just as important to consciously divert from them.
Rituals are strongly connected with their related cultures. As example, there are different daily rituals in Japan, Germany or America. The rituals of the own culture usually are so internalized that they can be done without thinking, and this is an even stronger impression when being in a different culture. This breaking of habits and knowledge is not only negative: it gives possibility to see and reflect on ones own culture and its daily ritual habits.
Therefore, the knowledge about rituals in day to day life can indeed have a practical usage in (inter)cultural education and the mediation and exchange between cultures.
The original one is in German language, so please bear with writing or grammar mistakes.
