- Ritual – a set of symbolic acts specific to a given culture, performed in order to achieve a desired result, which may nonetheless be far removed from the apparently obvious practical purpose.
“Ritual” is sometimes treated as a synonym for “rite”, though in everyday speech it has a somewhat broader meaning. Rituals are often linked with phenomena such as the sacred and sometimes with taboo. They can become automatic, turning into habits. It is a mistake to claim that they are connected solely with religion. As Jean Maisonneuve has shown, secular rituals are common in today’s societies – supporting a sports club, for instance, or going shopping not only to buy what you need but also to treat yourself.
Types of ritual. Religious: initiation (circumcision, baptism), passage (e.g. a wedding), separation (a funeral). Secular: political; passage (e.g. defending a dissertation); entertainment (mass events); everyday; bodily (tattoos, make-up); professional (e.g. initiation in the army).
Custom
- Custom – a form of behaviour generally accepted within a given social group and supported by the tradition that group recognises.
Custom is an element of social control, which is why breaking it usually provokes a negative reaction from the group. Customs are passed down from generation to generation and change very slowly. The totality of customs in a given group makes up its mores.
Tradition
Tradition – the cultural content handed down from generation to generation (such as customs, views, beliefs, ways of thinking and behaving, and social norms) that a community regards as socially significant for its present and its past.
