{"id":21,"date":"2018-11-14T13:25:31","date_gmt":"2018-11-14T00:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/inplural\/?p=21"},"modified":"2018-11-19T12:44:18","modified_gmt":"2018-11-18T23:44:18","slug":"we-are-ritual-creatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/inplural\/we-are-ritual-creatures\/","title":{"rendered":"We are ritual creatures"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

The 2018 University of Otago finalists (spot Marshall at the back left)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

The 3 Minute Thesis competition is a lively annual event. This year\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span>Marshall Lewis, a Phd student in Otago’s Social Anthropology programme, competed in the University finals. We thought we’d share the content of his excellent presentation on ‘Ritual Design’ with you! …<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“If you have goals that are important to you \u2013 and I bet you do \u2013 then you may want to <\/span>design <\/span><\/i>your rituals to support your goals. That\u2019s the main idea behind my project.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, <\/span>very<\/span><\/i> quickly: what do I <\/span>mean<\/span><\/i> by ritual, <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> use it and how might we <\/span>design<\/span><\/i> ritual?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Marshall Lewis delivering his presentation<\/p><\/div>\n

Think of rituals as actions that <\/span>embody<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>express<\/span><\/i> your beliefs and values \u2013 you <\/span>live<\/span><\/i> your beliefs and values through ritual \u2013 perhaps not consciously. You may have waking rituals, hygiene rituals, eating, commuting, working, shopping, pre-game, post-sex, religious ritual\u00a0– if you\u2019re religious – even binging on Netflix <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> be ritual-like.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is life so ritualised?<\/span><\/p>\n

Ritual scholarship is extensive and contentious. I\u2019m focused on two basic propositions: First, there <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> discernible, family characteristics of ritual \u2013 some listed here \u2013 and secondly \u2013 and <\/span>here\u2019s why you should care<\/span><\/i> \u2013 rituals work. Experimental psychologists have been demonstrating what coaches and drill sergeants have long known: <\/span>rituals have real impact<\/span><\/i>. For example, they can decrease anxiety, reduce grief, alleviate disappointment. Essentially, they can <\/span>align and reinforce<\/span><\/i> our beliefs and values.<\/span><\/p>\n

And knowing that rituals work is real and useful knowledge. What might it look like to take this knowledge seriously: to apply ritual as a strategy or technology to support one\u2019s goals and aspirations? <\/span>That\u2019s what my project is about. I am applying insights from the interdisciplinary study of ritual — from anthropology, organisational studies and religious studies \u2013 to do three things: t<\/span>o defend a conception of ritual as something <\/span>to be designed; <\/i>t<\/span>o evolve a practical<\/span> method<\/span><\/i> for <\/span>designing<\/span><\/i> ritual, and t<\/span>o <\/span>apply<\/span><\/i> this method in real-world environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Competitors in the 3 Minute Thesis competition are allowed a single powerpoint slide to accompany their 3-minute presentation, and this was Marshall’s image.<\/p><\/div>\n

Two quick examples:\u00a0<\/span>First, I work in a large company that wants a collaborative culture, where people feel empowered to shape the future of the organisation. The question becomes: How might we design organisational rituals such as team meetings and problem-solving sessions if our goal is a collaborative culture? <\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, my youngest daughter is starting law school later this month, and she\u2019s designing rituals to help maintain a healthy lifestyle during that period of intensity.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ritual design <\/span>method<\/span><\/i> is straight forward, although far from easy. <\/span>First, clarify your goal and the beliefs and values you want to reinforce (easier said than done!). <\/span>Then, you design your rhythms and activities using the key characteristics of ritual as design principles.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s a creative process, though analytically derived.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We <\/span>are<\/span> ritual <\/span><\/i>creatures. Ritual is one of the <\/span>key strategies<\/span><\/i> humans use to bring some order and method\u00a0to the challenges\u00a0and chaos of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good luck with <\/span>your<\/span><\/i> goals!\u00a0 And consider how your rituals can support you!”
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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