Challenge 4: Observing Rituals
Your Challenge
For this challenge, I invite you to observe a religious or spiritual ritual of your choice (preferably in-person, but you can choose a live online event). Please submit around 500 words of writing or a 3-5 minute audio or video recording reflecting on your experience. For this challenge, while you are welcome to/encouraged to observe with your group, I am asking each individual person to submit their own reflection in Canvas > ASB 214 > Assignments > Challenge 4. Please see the guidelines below as you format your reflection.
Guidelines for reflection
Please include some background about the ritual or event that you observed. What is the name of the event (“Mass,” “soul-calling ceremony,” “Passover Seder”)? What kind of event is it (worship service, healing ritual, ceremonial meal, holiday, coming-of-age ceremony)? What ethnic and/or religious group practices it (Irish Catholic, Guatemalan Catholic, Wiccan, Hmong, Jewish)? What happens at this event?
Be sure that your submission includes both the etic perspective (your perspective as an outsider/researcher) and the emic perspective (the point of view of the local/practitioner). Consider: What is the most valuable thing that you learned from the emic perspective (talking to community members)? What is the most valuable thing that you learned from the etic perspective (observing and participating yourself)?
The etic perspective looks like:
Talk about what you observed. What were the main parts of this ritual or event? How did people dress, talk, and behave? What surprised you?
What did you observe that seemed very different from rituals you have participated in as part of your own life? What seemed similar?
What do you think could be the social function of this ritual?
How did this ritual use symbolism?
How can you apply what you learned about ritual in Module 4 to what you observed?
The emic perspective looks like:
Please include something you learned from talking to the members of the community you visited. What do they have to say about why they practice this ritual/hold this event and what does it mean to them?
What is the most valuable thing that you learned from the emic perspective (talking to community members)? What is the most valuable thing that you learned from the etic perspective (observing and participating yourself)?
Guidelines for choosing an online site to observe
If you choose to observe a ritual online, please choose a live event so that you can have the opportunity to participate. Many religious communities have Zoom or YouTube channels where they live-stream their services, which can give you the opportunity to participate in a ritual from another part of the world! An example is this Sikh temple, where participants can stream on YouTube with captions and engage in a live chat.
For an online observation, you can also use Tajen: Interactive to walk through the ritual of Balinese cockfighting and several interviews with practitioners, or any video in the Modern Bali Showcase section of Batuan: Interactive. These interactive online exhibits come from Robert Lemelson’s Elemental Productions, and are designed to give us an experience that is as close to live participation as we can get online.
Guidelines for choosing an in-person site to observe
Choose a community whose beliefs you would like to know more about. Consider…
– Attending a religious service – Christian church of any denomination, Islamic mosque, Jewish temple/synagogue, Quaker meeting, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, Sikh temple, Jain temple, pagan or Wiccan church or coven, etc. These are often public, or you can go with a friend who practices a different tradition than you do.
– Celebrating a holiday with a friend’s family, or attending a public festival or holiday celebration
– Going to a practitioner who works one-on-one, such as a practitioner of divination
You can then use Google to locate services or events held by members of this group that are open to the public. If in doubt, call or email the location in advance. Be mindful of health concerns and conventions of practice. Find out if they prefer you to wear a mask, take off your shoes, cover your hear, or wear a certain type of clothing to the space.
You can also talk to classmates or your friends about the rituals they practice. Attending a ceremony, worship service, or holiday dinner with your friend who practices a different religion or culture than you do are all great ways to get the most from this challenge.
Guidelines for participant observation
Do your best to stay for the entire event/service/ritual ceremony that you are observing.
If you would like to take photographs, audio/video recordings, or notes, please get permission from the community or family you are visiting with during your observation. Audio, photo, and video is not a required part of this assignment, but if it is important to you, please be sure to ask first.
Be as respectful as possible as you are visiting a new space. It’s ok to ask questions if you are not sure what to do. Asking community members about their practices is also an important part of this assignment – ask if it’s ok to ask some questions and remember that they are the expert. Many people will be more than happy to talk about their customs, practices, and beliefs!