Religious Ritual Observation Assignment
General Guidelines for the Paper
Your paper should be 15 spaced, 12-point font, with 1-inch
margins
Save your file as either a word document (doc or docx) or a
PDF file for submission
Include your name, class and semester on the title page
Explain everything in your own words using complete
sentences
Make sure you cite your sources (LAVC library resource on
citations (Links to an external site)Links to an external site)
Make a heading for each analysis section as indicated below
The Paper
Include a separate heading for each section below With the
exception of the ritual description, the questions for each section can be
answered in a paragraph or two
I Ritual Observed
What religious ritual did you observe? Include religion (be
specific), ritual, specific location, and the date Include a picture of you
that shows that you did the observation (eg, in front of the ritual
location) Do not take pictures during the ritual without getting permission!
If you have problems meeting this requirement, please contact me as soon as
possible
II Ritual Description
Describe the ritual that you observed This should be an
approximately three to four page description of what you observed, including a
description of the setting, participants and religious specialists Describe
step by step what happened during the ritual
III Ritual Classification
How would you classify this ritual? Was it prescriptive or
situational? Was it periodic or occasional? How would Wallace classify the
ritual (eg, therapy, social rite of intensification, rite of passage, etc)?
Make sure to include all three classifications Explain why you classified the
ritual the way you did
IV Symbols
Describe the symbols you observed, making sure to include
the meaning of each Include symbolic elements of time and space if
appropriate
V Ritual Specialist
How would you classify the ritual specialist (ie, priest
or shaman)? What characteristics led you to that decision?
VI Altered States of Consciousness
Was there any evidence of altered states of consciousness?
If yes, what characterized the altered state? How was the altered state
achieved? If there was absolutely no evidence of altered states, contact me for
further instructions
VII Worldview
What is the worldview of this religion? How was this
worldview reflected in the ritual?
VIII Conclusion
Write a paragraph or two on your own thoughts and responses
to what you observed