Weddings and funerals, holidays and celebration, all qualify as
rituals.  Around the world people seek to give meaning to life through
the experience of ritual.  While some ritual events qualify as
religious worship, others commemorate historical events or celebrate
through competitive sports.  Such events require some familiarity with
the fundamentals of the culture, but beliefs and attitudes of the
participants may vary considerably.

The course will devote special attention to the way in which rituals
intensify and condense communication and the modes through which
messages are sent and received, including many different kinds of
sound, movement, and rich visual images. Specific modes include dance,
music, speech, display of objects, costume, etc.  Whether or not
participants are aware of the power of ritual, they will experience it
as it reaches beyond the ordinary to engage the senses and the body as
well as the intellect.  It has been described as an experimental
technology intended to affect the flow of power in the universe.

The course will study ritual events internationally, including rituals
and celebrations in various parts of Africa, the contemporary US and
Mexico, including Native Americans, China and parts of Europe. We will
consider both religious rituals and ones associated with occupation,
politics, gender and other topics.

Several times during the semester students will be engaged in research
on ritual events in a country of their choice.  In one class project
students will research weddings as they are performed in different
cultures.  We will also consider ritual in several of the major
religions of the world (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, etc.).

There will be two exams, two class projects, and two papers (which may
be related to the projects if the student chooses.)  Short readings
will be on e reserve and textbooks will be available in the bookstores.