Rituals in Theory and Practice

ECTS: 7.5

Most likely, the evolution of humans as social and cultural beings had a lot to do with rituals. Through rituals human beings constitute order and create morally binding ideals. In many non-bureaucratic societies rituals are the main structuring activities of social and religious life. But even in Euro-American societies rituals have not lost their importance in politics, in sport, in conflict resolution or in coping with illness or grief. This course will on the one hand offer a variety of approaches in the study of ritual and, on the other hand, will ask students to research rituals themselves.