Anthropology121 RitualObservationProject IntroductionThispro

Anthropology121 RitualObservationProject IntroductionThispro.
Anthropology121 RitualObservationProject IntroductionThisprojecthasthreepurposes:(1)tohaveyouexperienceareligionotherthanyourown,(2) tohaveyouapplyanthropologicalprincipleslearnedinclasstoaspecificsituation,and(3)to have youexperienceanthropologicalfieldwork.ChoosingaReligionforStudyYourfirsttaskwillbetochooseareligion.Becauseweliveinalargemetropolitanarea,weare surroundedbyagreatdiversityofreligiouspractices.Thismakesthisprojectpossibleand exciting.Somequestionsyoumayaskinselectingareligiontostudyare:Doyouknow someonewho couldbeaninformant?Doyouknowthelocationofaspecific church/temple/etc.?WilltheceremonybeatleastprimarilyinEnglish?Ananswerof no to anyofthesequestionsdoesnotmeanyoucannotstudythatreligion;itjustmeansitmaybea bitmoredifficult. Ifyouhavenoideawhatreligionyouwouldliketostudy,considerlookingat TheEncyclopediaofAmericanReligions. PossibilitiesincludeCatholic,Lutheran,Presbyterian, Methodist,Pentecostal,Baptist,Adventists(includingJehovah sWitness),Fundamentalist, Mormon,Coptic,GreekorRussianOrthodox,Unitarian,ChristianScience,Jewish,Muslim, Baha i,Hindu,Sikh,Buddhist,NewAge,Pagan,orWicca.Notethatwithcertainreligionsyou willneedtomakeafurtherchoicebetweendifferentsubgroups(e.g.,Orthodox,Conservative, Reform,andReconstructionJudaism). Thepaperisnot abookreportandnospecificamount ofreadingisrequired.However,youareresponsibleforfindingoutthemeaningsassociated withthedifferentaspectsoftheritual(i.e.,youneedtoknowenoughtodotheanalysis requiredofyou).Possiblesourcesincludeanencyclopediaentry,achapterina bookonworld religions,orevenachildren sbook.YoumightalsofindabookletintheLobbyorGiftShopof thechurch/temple.Goodinformationcanoftenbefoundonline.Anotherwayofobtaining informationistoattendordiscusstheritualwithaninformantwhoisaparticipantinthe religion.Makesuretociteanysourcesyouuse!DoingtheFieldworkTheritualcanbeapublicceremonysuchasaSundaymorningchurchservice,ariteof passagesuchasawedding,orevenaritualheldinahome.Makesurethatitisareligious ritualandsubstantialenoughtodoananalysis. Makeplansaheadoftimetogotoyoursite.If youdonothaveaninformanttogowith,callaheadandmakearrangements.Tellthemwho youareandwhyyouwanttoattend,findoutwhenandwhereservicesare,andaskany additionalquestionssuchashowtodress.Ifyouareunsureaboutthislastpoint,erronthe sideofbeingtooconservative.Yourdressandbehaviorreflectsonthecollege.Attendtheritual,watchingforthingsthatwillhelpyouanswerthequestionsfortheproject. Considerdiscretely takingnotesattheceremonyifthisisallowed.However,nevermakea recordingwithoutthepermissionofthepersonyouarespeakingwithanddonotrecordthe ritualwithoutthepermissionofthepersonincharge.Ifyouareunabletotakenotesduring theritual,makesuretowritedownyourobservationsassoonaspossiblefollowingtheritual. Keepallofyourfieldnotes.Ireservetherighttoaskyoutoturnthem inifIhavesome questionsaboutyourwork.Ifyouaskedforpermissiontoattendtheritual,thensendinga noteofappreciationafterwardswouldbeanicegesture.Ingeneral,whileyouareattending theritualyoushoulddoastheydo.Forexample,if theystand,soshouldyou.Iftheyareall wearingheadcoveringsandtheyareprovided,youshouldwearonetoo.Theexceptionis whenitcomestoactuallyparticipatingintheritualsuchastakingcommunioninaCatholic church.Ifyouareunsure,ask.Donotwaituntilthelastminute.Fieldworkdoesnotalwaysgoasplanned;allowyourselftimeforunforeseendifficulties.Thisis notapaperthatcanbewrittenatthelastminute.GeneralGuidelinesforthePaper Yourpapershouldbe1.5spaced, 12-pointfont,with1-inchmargins. Saveyourfileaseithera worddocument(.docordocx)oraPDFfileforsubmission. Includeyourname, classand semesteron thetitlepage. Explaineverythinginyourownwordsusingcompletesentences. Makesureyouciteyoursources.(Resourceoncitations: Makeaheadingforeachanalysissection asindicatedbelow.RitualAnalysisIncludeaseparateheadingforeach sectionbelow.Withtheexceptionoftheritualdescription, thequestionsforeachsectioncanbeansweredinaparagraphortwo.I.RitualObserved Whatreligiousritualdidyouobserve? Includereligion(bespecific),ritual, specificlocation,andthedate. Include apictureofyouthatshowsthatyoudidtheobservation (e.g.,infrontoftherituallocation). Donottakepicturesduringtheritualwithoutgetting permission! Ifyouhaveproblemsmeetingthisrequirement,pleasecontactme. II.Ritual Description Describetheritualthatyouobserved. Thisshouldbeanapproximatelythreeto fourpagedescriptionofwhatyouobserved,includingadescriptionofthesetting,participants andreligiousspecialists.III.RitualClassification Howwouldyouclassifythisritual? Wasit prescriptiveorsituational? Wasitperiodicoroccasional? HowwouldWallaceclassifytheritual (e.g.,therapy,socialriteofintensification,riteofpassage,etc.)? Makesuretoincludeallthree classifications. Explainwhyyouclassifiedtheritualthewayyoudid. IV.Symbols Describethe symbolsyouobserved,makingsuretoincludethemeaningofeach. Includesymbolic elementsoftimeandspaceifappropriate. V.RitualSpecialist Howwouldyouclassifytheritual specialist(i.e., priestorshaman)? Whatcharacteristicsledyoutothatdecision? VI.Altered StatesofConsciousness Wasthereanyevidenceofalteredstatesofconsciousness? Ifyes, whatcharacterizedthealteredstate?Howwasthealteredstateachieved? Iftherewas absolutelynoevidenceofalteredstates,contactmeforfurtherinstructions. VII.Worldview Whatistheworldviewofthisreligion?Howwasthisworldviewreflectedintheritual? VIII. Conclusion Write aparagraphortwoonyourownthoughtsandresponsestowhatyou
Anthropology121 RitualObservationProject IntroductionThispro