Veissiere Theorizing Ritual Practice Doxa Consequence-libre

!Theorizing*Ritual:*Practice,*Doxa,*Consequence*!

!

Samuel!Veissire,!Depts!of!Anthropology!&!Transcultural!Psychiatry,!McGill!

University!

!

(Teaching!document)!

!

!

Overview:!

!

In!this!brief!guide!to!the!interpretation!of!collective!action!for!anthropologists!in!

training,!I!propose!a!logicalHconsequentialist!framework!for!identifying!clusters!of!

experience!and!indirect!responsibility!in!the!impact!of!behaviour!that!reflects!

internalized!structures!performed!implicitly,!but!rigidly!by!social!actors.!I!propose!a!

definition!of!ordinary!ritual!action!by!borrowing!insights!from!Rappaport,!Turner,!

Bourdieu,!Sperber,!Boyer,!&!Linard,!and!expand!on!ways!to!interpret!1)!the!

fuzziness!of!meaning,!and!2)!the!material!consequence!of!collective!action.!

ANTH%358%Veissire%Fall%2014% 1%

Ritual,(semiosis,(and(meaning(in(action:(an(interpretive(guide(for(

anthropological(research((

(

!

1. Making)sense)of)meaninglessness)in)ritual:)categories)of)experience)

)

!(skip!to!#2!below!if!you!need!to!brush!up!on!the!debate!between!public!&!

private!language)%

%

Why%do%people%do%what%they%do?%In%Marxs%famous%definition%of%ideology,%they%do%

not%know%it,%but%they%are%doing%it%(Sie!wissen!das!nicht,!aber!sie!tun!es).%%%

The%question%of%why%people%imitate%each%other%and%tend%to%follow%hierarchical%order%

and%the%implicit%rules%of%whatever%institutional%game%they%happen%to%be%in%requires%

further%theorizing.%%For%now,%let%us%simply%note%that:%%

%

a) people%are%often%unable%to%provide%explanations%for%why%they%do%what%they%

do;%%

%

b) when%explanations%are%present,%they%tend%to%differ%significantly%even%within%

highly%homogeneous%groups%who%perform%the%same%actions.%%

%

%

In%light%of%this%problem,%I%have%proposed%a%very%basic%definition%of%ritual%pared%

down%to%a%fundamental%dynamic%found%in%all%cultures.%

%

(anthropological!definition.):%Ritual%is%any%%socially%scripted,%but%implicitly%

performed%collective%behaviour%reiterated%across%or%within%groups%over%long%

periods%of%time,%and%characterized%by%soft%invariance,%rigidity,%compulsion,%

specific%themes,%and%only%very%loose%or%no%connections%between%intention,%

endXresult,%and%explicit%cosmology.%%

%

(lay!definition)%stuff%people%do%compulsively,%rigidly,%and%in%ways%that%seem%

personal%and%logical%to%them%because%other%people%are%also%doing%it.,%

%

This%definition%builds%on%Boyer%and%Linard%culturalXselection%model%of%ritual,%which%

itself%builds%on%Rappaport,%obvious,%or%ordinary%aspects%of%every%day%action.%%A%

ritual%in%this%model%neednt%be%formal,%dogmatic,%expertXdependent,%or%explicitly%

linked%to%religion,%spirituality,%or%any%explicit%attempt%to%formalize%the%social%and%

ontological%order%of%a%cosmology.%%%In%order%for%an%action%to%be%a%ritual,%it%must%simply%

be!performed!by!enough!people,!within!or!across!a!large?enough!group,!and!over!a!

long?enough!period!of!time.%%

%

If%you%look%around%you%in%a%public%place,%you%will%see%people%doing%things%that%other%

people%are%doing,%and%that%other%have%been%doing%for%some%time.%So%men%wearing%


ties,%women%putting%on%make%up,%people%crossing%roads,%or%others%not%picking%up%

litter%all%constitute%ritual%action.%%

%

A%ritual,%as%such,%is%more%like%a%trend%or%a%meme.%If%it%is%culturally%successful,%it%is%

found%within%a%group%or%across%groups%(like%circumcision,%or%not%eating%pork).%If%it%is%

a%fad%(like%tamagotchis%or%the%iceXbucket%challenge),%it%is%unsuccessful,%or%fails%to%live%

on%as%a%ritual.%And%so%it%goes%toward%the%micro:%a%familys%ritual%to%speak%Latin%at%the%

dinner%table%on%Sunday%may%fail%to%get%passed%on%to%the%next%generation,%and%so%

might%a%group%of%friends%ritual%to%pinch%each%other%on%the%left%ear%whenever%they%are%

together%in%a%car%at%11:11pm;%this%is%likely%not%to%be%successfully%accepted%by%more%

friends%and%groups.%The%THCXenthusiasts%4:20%ritual%to%light%up%together%on%April%

20th%of%each%year,%conversely,%has%proven%successful.%%In%Section%2,%we%will%return%to%

the%problematic%notion%that,%in%this%model,%rituals%appear%to%have%a%will%and%goals%of%

their%own.%%Suffice%it%for%now%to%reiterate%some%of%the%characteristics%of%rituals%

identified%by%Boyer%and%Linard%:%

%

no%obvious%goals%or%meaning;%goal%demotion:%(doesnt!always!apply!in!the!

case!of!formal!dogma)%

Compulsion%

Literalism%and%rigidity%

Repetition,%reiteration,%and%redundancy%

Order%and%boundaries%

Specific%occasion%%

Danger%of%nonXperformance%%

Detailed%prescriptions%%%

%

To%this%list,%I%add%three%more%important%features:%%

%

Rituals%always%involve%more%environments,%symbols,%things,%people,%and%

states%of%affairs%than%those%immediately%apparent%features%of%performance%

Rituals%always%have%consequences%on%more%environments,%people,%things,%and%

states%of%affairs%than%those%immediately%apparent%in%specific%performance%

Rituals%have%different%meanings%and%consequences%for%different%people,%but%

within%clusters%of%fuzziness.%%

%

While%we%will%return%to%more%minute%theorizing%of%fuzziness,%let%us%now%propose%a%

tentative%framework%of%convenient%reductionisms%to%identify%categories!of!experience!

in%the%performance%and%consequences%of%meaning.%%

%

Recall%how%a%monothetic)category%refers%a%discrete%set%or%a%homogeneous%family%

resemblance%(in%Wittgensteins%terms)%in%which%members%of%a%class%are%similar%(i.e.,%

a%bag%o%f%green%apples).%A%polythetic)category,%in%turn,%is%a%fuzzy%set%in%which%there%is%

as%much%difference%as%resemblance%between%members%of%a%class%(i.e.,%a%bag%of%fruits).%%%


Now%consider%more%gradients%in%fuzzy%subsets%or%supersets.%E.g.,%we%can%put%all%bags%

of%fruits%with%bags%of%veggies%with%bags%of%live%humans%and%bags%of%ants%and%

antelopes%in%a%broad,%fuzzy%superset%of%living%things.%%

%

We%will%see%that%meaning%(the%meaning%of%a%sign,%a%symbol,%or%action)%is%always%too%

personal,%too%fuzzy,%and%too%transient%to%be%ascribed%to%any%preXexisting%categories%

with%invariant%certainties%(X%always%means%Y.)%%We%could%propose,%for%example,%that%

the%colour%red%always%symbolizes%menstrual%blood%among%humans%in%general,%or%in%

the%rituals%of%a%particular%group.%%We%might%take%this%interpretive%project%further%and%

claim%that%menstrual%blood%(as%metaphorically%referred%to%in%ritual),%in%turn,%always%

symbolizes%the%nurturing%role%of%women,%and%carries%a%legitimizing%function%to%make%

female%subjects%conform%to%certain%institutional%roles.%While%some%rituals%may%have%

been%designed%with%the%specific%intent%to%institutionalize%certain%ideas%about%

femininity,%we%must%note%that,%in%practice,%the%colour%red%as%a%sign%or%symbol%will%

refer%to%an%infinite%variety%of%specific%or%vague%things,%ideas,%emotions,%memories,%

speculations,%and%states%of%affairs%in%different%contexts%and%for%different%people.%%

%

In%keeping%with%categories(of(experiences!(who!experiences!ritual!in!what!ways),%we%

can%approach%the%study%of%ritual%action%through%a%consequentialist!framework.!In%

this%model,%the%only%objective%statements%that%can%be%made%about%any%action%are%in%

terms%of%its%consequences.%%For%example,%either%500%people%died%in%an%event%or%they%

did%not.%That%is%very%real.%What%kinds%of%ritual%practices%and%ways%of%justifying%and%

not%justifying%them%contributed%to%that%event?%%What%categories%of%experiences%can%

we%identify?%%From%an%ethically%pluralist%perspective,%for%example,%when,%where%and%

how%can%be%identity%that,%as%Isaiah%Berlin%put%it,%freedom%to%the%wolf%is%death%to%the%

lamb?%

%Specific%meaning%from%the%lived%experiences%of%people%caught%at%various%ends%of%

collective%actions%and%their%consequences,%thus,%can%be%described,%interpreted,%and%

critiqued.%%

%

To%recap:%categories)of)experience%may%refer%to%distinct%groups%that%already%have%

a%name%for%themselves%or%have%been%named%(e.g.,%laypeople%vs%experts,),%or%they%can%

be%(conveniently,%but%never%accurately!)%delineated%by%the%anthropologist%herself%

(e.g.,%she%may%notice%that%a%group%of%her%informants%identify%with%a%particular%story,%

or%suffer%particular%consequences,%etc.)%

%

Let%us%consider%an%example%N,%where%N%is%the%formal%ritual%of%going%through%the%

Canadian%border.%%Here,%I%am%using%some%logical%symbols1%for%the%sake%of%conceptual%

clarity.%The%goal%is%to%identify%more%people,%categories%of%experience,%symbols,%

ordinary%forms%of%ritual%action,%and%categories%of%consequences%that%are%also%

dependent%on%Ritual%N.%%

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%1%Symbolic%logic%is%not%often%used%in%anthropology%so%dont%bother%with%that%language%unless%you%are%personally%(or%ritualistically)%compelled%to%do%so.%For%the%real%deal%in%fuzzy%logic,%try%this.%%For%another%

notable%exception,%see%Gregory%Batesons%Steps!to!an!Ecology!of!Mind.!!

%


%

Observing%ritual%N%(people%driving%or%walking%through%the%Canadian%border%with%

customs%and%immigration%check),%we%can%proceed%to%identity%more%dimensions,%

where,%e.g.:%

%

%

status%symbol%X%[e.g.,!a!Canadian!passport],%is%ritualized%as%a%criterion%for%

membership%to%Group%C.%[the!set!of!all!Canadians]%%

%

X%and%C%are%dependent%on%(and%refer%to)%ta%broad%superset%of%practice%Y%

[specific!Canadian!citizenship?defining?and?granting!criteria!+!international!

border!criteria!for!movement!on!the!planet],%the%symbol%may%mean%very%

different%things%to%different%people,%but%the%ritual,%in%practice,%has%very%real%

consequences%for%all%involved,%including:%

%

%a%large%group%we%can%call%%C%[not?C;!the!set!of!all!non?Canadians].%

%

%C,%in%turn,%can%be%divided%in%further%subsets%of%nonXCanadians,%where,%e.g.,%

%

F=French,%S=Somalis,%and%G=Guatemalans,%etc,%so:%

%

%(F,%S,%G)%%%C%%%

%

or:%

%

F%%%C%%%

S%%%C%%%

G%%%C%%%

%

[F,!S,!and!G!are!all!subsets!of!the!superset!of!non?Canadians]%

%

As%fuzzy%as%the%sets%F,%S,%and%G%may%be%[there!are!enormous!differences!in!

individual!and!private!experiences!within!each!set!of!French,!Somalis,!and!

Guatemalans],%there%are%identifiable%trends%of%practice%in%the%current%political%

order%of%things,%where,%say:%

%

%(S%


the%purpose%of%conceptual%clarity%and%possible%invariance%(human%affairs%are%often,%

but%not%always,%textural%variations%of%the%same%structural%recipes),%rather,%what%

anthropologists%do%best%is%to%expose,%describe,%and%critique%the%fuzziness.%%

%

Let%us%take%the%example%further.%%The%class%C%(all%Canadians),%can%be%divided%into%

more%subclasses%(say,%iC,%indigenous%Canadians;%or%wiC,%white%Canadians%born%in%

Canada;%%or%aC,%Canadians%born%abroad;%or%caC,%nonXwhite%Canadians%born%abroad,%

etc.).%Again,%we%may%identify%a%pattern%where,%e.g.:%%

%

(caC%


Literalism)and)rigidity:))Must!be!performed!in!exactly!the!same!way!and!

same!order:)very%specific%criteria%for%Canadian%citizenship:%must%be%born%in%

Canada,%or%born%of%a%Canadian%parent,%or%meet%highly%specific%economic,%

cultural,%linguistic,%educational,%and%health%criteria%to%become%eligible%

through%a%highly%specific%process.)

Repetition,)reiteration,)and)redundancy:)(these!criteria!must!always!be!

performed!in!exactly!the!same!way;!there!are!no!exceptions!to!the!rule.!)

Order)and)boundaries.)))Very%specific%bureaucracies,%protocols,%timelines,%

and%international%systems%that%include%microchips,%machines%guns,%people%

who%get%very%angry%or%hopeful,%and%others%who%get%killed%to%ensure%that%the%

order%and%boundaries%of%Ritual%Y%are%enforced.%)

Specific)occasion:%one%can%only%apply%for%citizenship%within%specific%times%

and%protocols,%etc.)

Danger)of)nonGperformance:))ha!%Try%disobeying%every%protocol%for%

citizenship,%sociality,%and%access!)

Detailed)prescriptions:%etc.))

Rituals)always)involve)more)symbols,)things,)people,)states)of)affairs)

than)those)immediately)apparent)features)of)performance:%%%the%%C%%%(all%

nonXcanadians)%categories,%and%subsets%we%have%identified)

Rituals)always)have)consequences)on)more)people,)things,)and)states)of)

affairs)than)those)immediately)apparent)in)specific)performance:)Here,%

we%need%to%question%a%broad%militarized%capitalist%geopolitical%order%to%ask%

why%some%people%are%entitled%to%move%in%certain%places,%and%others%arent,%

and%others%still%are%killed%when%they%do%not%obey%these%rules.%)

%

)

One%may%theorize%in%a%variety%of%directions%from%here%on.%The%political%and%ecological%

factors%(countries,%borders,%machine%guns,%microchips),%the%various%kinds%of%

institutionallyXconstituted%actors%(white%Canadians,%nonXwhite%Guatemalans,%etc.),%

and%the%structure%of%ritual%N%all%interact%in%complex%ways%that%can%be%described%and%

critiqued.%It%may%be%morally%important,%for%example,%to%expose%the%human%violence%of%

Ritual%Y%with%stories%of%lived%experiences%from%different%actors.%%It%may%also%be%

theoretically%possible%to%establish%convenient%(if%not%entirely%accurate)%sets%of%

common%trends%in%meaning.%%

%

Victor%Turners%classes%of%ritual%data%and%types%of%symbolic%information%will%be%

useful%for%this%task.%

%

Recall%how,%for%Turner,%specific%actions%and%interpretations%can%be%observed%and%

collected%from%various%classes%of%experts%and%laypeople%(e.g.,%immigration%officials%

and%workers,%different%classes%of%citizens%and%immigrants,%etc.%%what%I%call%

categories%of%experience).%The%broader%significant!context,%can%then%be%worked%by%

anthropologists%from%concrete%engagement%with%the%utterances%and%actions%of%as%

many%of%those%actors%as%possible.%%

%

Recall,%in%turn,%the%Jungian%distinction%between:%


%

a%sign,%which%stands%for%something%relatively%stable%and%understood%(the%

word%border%or%a%border%road%sign%for%the%actual%border),%

%

a%symbol,%which%stands%for%something%much%more%complex%and%less%

understood,%but%nevertheless%posited%to%exist%(like%Canada:%what%does%the%

written%symbol%Canada%stand%for?%Canada%can%only%be%explained%through%

reference%to%other%fuzzy%symbols%that%refer%to%other%fuzzy%symbols%like%

country,%citizenry,%history%that%are%neither%clear%things%nor%clear%states%of%

affair.%Yet,%we%take%it%for%granted%that%they%exist!%%%

%

Another%useful%semiotic%dimension%identified%by%C.%S.%Peirce%is%that%of%the%

interpretant.)(%A%sign%or%symbol%does%not%stand%freely%between%an%idea%and%a%thing,%

fact,%or%state%of%affairs,%but%is%also%contextualized%in%the%way%it%is%received%or%

interpreted%by%somebody:%signs%are%interpreted%by%people.%%

%

Turners%further%distinction%between%dominant(and%instrumental(symbols%will%be%

of%further%assistance%to%our%interpretive%task.%%

%

Dominant)symbols%express%fuzzy,%but%relatively!fixed!features%of%a%known%

spatial%and%temporal%environment%(an%official%for%the%government,%a%

passport%for%a%country).%%

%

Instrumental!symbols%are%more%contextXspecific%and%variable,%but%are%also%

relatively%fixed%in%narrower%contexts.%They%can%be%doxatic%(e.g.,%specific%skin%

pigmentation%or%styles%of%dress%of%certain%citizens%or%prospective%citizens%

determining%their%implicit%membership%in%various%categories%of%difficult%

access),%or%dogmatic,%(e.g..,%the%secret%code%used%by%immigration%officers%on%

customs%card,%(usually%letterXnumber%combinations%such%as%R11%or%V88)%

which%carry%specific%meanings%such%as%no%inspection%required,%or%

suspected%X%or%Y,%take%to%secondary%inspection).%%

%

%

Signs%and%symbols%(dominant%and%instrumental),%always%interact%in%specific%

contexts,%so,%an%immigrant%going%through%the%border%[is!the!border!a!sign,!a!symbol,!

or!a!thing?]%may%be%interpreted%and%interpolated%through%both%dominant!symbols%

(the%country%her%passport%stands%for),%but%also%through%her%skin%pigmentation,%

voice,%gait,%style%of%dress,%etc%(instrumental!symbols).%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%


%

!

2))Locating(meaning:(immanence(without(fixture.!!

%

Here,%we%return%to%the%notion%of%ritual%as%a%trend,%a%meme,%or%a%culturally%successful%

unit%of%thought%and%action.%We%know%that%humans%are%compelled%to%engage%in%

relatively%meaningless%ritual.%But%there%is%a%problem%of%agency%here:%who%is%the%

subject%that%compels?%

%

Note%how%things%get%muddled%with%the%notion%of%success%or%failing%to%live%on%as%a%

ritual%or%trend.%

%Do%rituals%have%agency%of%their%own?%Do%corn%and%marijuana,%as%Michael%Pollan%

almost%suggests,%have%specific%goals%and%strategies%to%colonize%humans%by%fooling%

them%into%ritual%consumption?%This%seems%silly.%Do%scheming%individuals%consciously%

gather%in%groups%that%are%greater%than%the%sum%of%their%parts%to%compete%actively%for%

the%success%of%their%rituals?%This%may%be%the%case%in%highly%formalized%(and%

thankfully%rare)%events%like%organized%sports,%war,%religious%proselytizing,%formal%

schooling2,%or%legal%forms%of%discrimination,%but%the%results%of%silent%ritual%wars%are%

more%arbitrary.%Further,%all%the%aforementioned%ritualized%practices%(organized%

sports,%war,%religion,%education,%discrimination)%have%consequences%that%are,%for%the%

most%part,%entirely%divorced%from%the%conscious%goals%of%individuals%who%participate%

in%them%or%work%to%maintain%their%existence.%%

%

A%preliminary%answer%to%our%question%is%that%no%nonXhuman%or%groupXhuman%

conscious%mind%can%be%found%for%our%explanation%of%ritual,%and%that%individuals%

minds%are%not%enough.%To%be%sure,%there%are%strange%dynamics%to%Groupthink%and%

weXmode,%in%which%individual%volitions%seem%to%be%subsumed%to%ultimately%random%

whatever%everybody%else%is%doingXconformity,%but%it%would%be%too%simplistic%to%

propose%that%groups%display%conscious,%goalXdirected%mental%processes%of%their%own.%%

%

This%takes%us%back%to%the%fuzziness%problem.%The%volition%for%ritual%seems%to%reside%

neither!in%discrete%peoples%heads/bodies/actions,%nor%in%ritual%itself,%which%cannot%

exist%without%human%action.%Human%action%is%itself%an%abstraction,%and%not%a%thing%at%

all.%Ritual%is%a%paradox.%%What%then?%

%

Let%us%return%to%the%public%vs.%private%language%debate.%Sperber%defines%cultural%

representations%as%a%fuzzy!subset!of!the!set!of!mental!and!public!representations!

inhabiting!a!given!social!group.%%

We%may%equally%define%private!mental!representations!as!a!fuzzy!subset!of!the!

superset!of!public!representations!that!are!culturally!and!ecologically!available!to!the!

members!of!a!given!group.!

%Yet,%the%superset!of!culture%only%exists%in%the%minds%and%actions%of%people%who%

practice%it.%Even%letterXandXnumberXsigns%in%a%book%or%the%internet%only%have%

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%2%No%longer%so%rare%!%


meaning%in%the%individual%heads%of%the%individuals%who%access%them.%%Their%meaning%

is%not%outside,%but%inside,!or%in!between,!or%in!the!whole!system.!!

%Each%sign,%representation,%or%action%will%have%different%meanings%to%each%member.%

Yet,%the%superset%holds!!

Quine%sums%up%this%dilemma%eloquently%in%his%discussion%of%the%%"chaotic%subjective%

diversity%of%connections%between%words%and%experiences"%that%underlie%"uniformity%

in%communication":%

%

Different%persons%growing%up%in%the%same%language%are%like%different%

bushes%trimmed%and%trained%to%take%the%shape%of%identical%elephants.%

The%anatomical%details%of%twigs%and%branches%will%fill%the%elephantine%

forms%differently%from%bush%to%bush,%but%the%overall%outward%results%are%

the%same.%(Willard%Van%Orman%Quine,%Word!and!Object,%1960).%

%

%

Which%set%is%fuzzier,%then?%The%set%of%individual%human%subjective%experiences,%or%

the%superset%of%culture%that%is%available%to%them?%Clearly,%neither%set%can%exist%

without%the%other,%and%neither%can%exist%outside%of%an%environment,%so%there%is%only%

one%broad,%fuzzy,%rhizomatic%environmental%set.%The%(sub+super)set%of%culture,%

thus,%only%exists%as%a%property%of%environments;%environments%in%which%we%are%

embedded,%but%which%we%enmind%and%embody,%and%without%which%we%as%humans%

cannot%exist.%%

%

This%chaos%of%individual%subjective%experiences,%however,%should%not%be%understood%

as%an%unfortunate%manifestation%of%the%imperfect%unruliness%of%humans,%but%as%a%

fundamental!feature!of!human!communication.%%In%the%quote%below,%Gregory%Bateson%

explains%why%ambiguity,%contingency%and%a%nonXfinite%levels%of%falseXbeliefs%are%

integral%properties%of%the%symbolic%technology%that%is%language%(note:!for!humans,!all!

technologies!are!symbolic,!because!they!always!refer!to!something!else!and!a!

culturally!attributed!function):%

%

%

If%we%speculate%about%the%evolution%of%communication,%it%is%evident%that%

a%very%important%stage%in%this%evolution%occurs%when%the%organism%

gradually%ceases%to%respond%quite%automatically%to%the%moodXsigns%of%

another%and%becomes%able%to%recognize!the!sign!as!a!signal:%that%is,%to%

recognize%that%the%other%individuals%and%its%own%signals%are%only%

signals,%which%can%be%trusted,%distrusted,%falsified,%denied,%amplified,%

corrected,%and%so%forth.%(Gregory%Bateson,%A%Theory%of%Play%and%

Fantasy,%in%Steps!to!an!Ecology!of!Mind.!Emphasis!mine)%

%

%

Here,%Bateson%is%telling%us%that%language!is!always!about!language;%not%because%signs%

and%symbols%always%miss%the%mark%of%what%they%are%expected%to%stand%for,%but%

because%the%intentional,%falsifiable,%goalXdirected%ideas%exchanged%through%language%

are%precisely%that:%ideas%about%states%of%affairs,%but%not%states%of%affairs%themselves.%%


We%when%exchange%words%and%ideas,%then,%we%always%treat%them%as%ideas,%and%not%as%

actual%states%of%affairs.%%If%I,%the%professor,%tell%students%about%the%midterm,%their%

thoughts%are%not%directed%toward%a%discrete,%actual%state%of%affairs%in%time%and%space.%

Rather,%they%are%treating%midterm%as%a%contextually%instrumental%symbol%and%

proceed%to%ask%themselves%a%series%of%hypothetical%questions%about%what%might%be%

covered%on%the%test,%what%I%might%assume%is%important%testable%content,%what%they%

might%assume%is%important%content,%how%fair%it%all%is,%etc.%This%is%true%regardless%of%

whether%the%exam%has%yet%to%happen,%has%already%occurred,%or%is%taking%place%right%

now.%%

Words%in%this%sense%are%soundXthings%of%the%World,%and%for%humans,%they%are%always%

embedded%with%an%openXended,%or%fuzzy%set%of%contextual,%multiple,%hypothetical,%

perspectival,%intentional%meanings.%%%

%

Meaning%as%such%is%never%a%fixed%intrinsic!property%of%anything,%but%it%is%not%external%

and%transcendent%either.%%

%

It%is%immanent%(not%intrinsic);%

it%is%in%motion%and%action%(not%fixed);%

It%exists%perspectivally%in%a%system%of%relations%(not%in%discrete%things%and%

facts);%

It%is%immanent%in%that%system%(not%transcendent).%%

%

%

Fig.)1)The%Ecological%Model%of%Semiosis)

)

)

ANTH%358%%Veissire%2014%

! !%

%

%%%%%%%

ANTH%358%%Veissire%2014%

!

Fig.!5.%%%Habitus%and%the%Three%Bodies%(adapted%from%ScheperCHughes%&%Lock;%

Mauss;%Bourdieu).%

%

%

%

%

Body%individual%

%Body%politic%

%Body%social%%habitus%

ANTH%358%%Making%Up%People%%(Bourdieu%+%Hacking)%

%

Bourdieu%in%a%diagrammatic%nutshell%

%

%

The%problem:%%% Symbolic'violence' !%

How%it%works:%%

% % % % Social'reproduction'

% % % % % !%Field%

% % % % % !Cultural%capital%

% % % % % !%Distinction%

% % % % % !%Masculine%domination%

% % % % % !Doxa%

!Habitus%

Solution:%

% !% % % % Reflexivity'

%

%

%

%

! !

ANTH%358%Veissiere%%levels%of%doxatization% %

In#the#beginners#mind#there#are#many#possibilities,#but#in#the#experts#there#are#few.#

#

Degrees&of&doctrinary&prescription:&

1.%Dogma:%very%formal%(e.g..%law)%

2.%1st%degree%(hard)%doctrine:%formal%protocols%governing%action;%formal%skills%

(reading,%driving,%etc.)%

3.%2nd%degree%(soft)%doctrine:%informal%skills%(e.g.,%crossing%the%road;%

proxemics)%

4.%doxa:%common%sense%

%

%

Consciousness&level& Narrative&level& Rule&level&

%

Abstract,%hard%to%get,%

recall,%explain,%practice,%

and%obey.%Requires%highly%

specific%training.%%

%

%

%

Counter;intuitive#

#

High#system#2#

%

%

hard%doctrine%

(dogma)%

%

Formal,%legal%codes,%laws%

%

Formal,%cosmological%narratives%

(religious%or%scientific)%

%

Usually%written%down%and%

handled%by%/%outsourced%to%

experts%

%

Rule#almost#always#broken#in#

practice##even#collectively#(most#

people#do#not#really#observe#

them)#

%

Abstract,%need%to%be%

taught%or%shown,%but%can%

be%explained,%recalled%and%

observed%with%some%

training/immersion.%

%

Minimally#counter;

intuitive#

#

Becomes#semi;conscious#or#

subconscious.##

#

System#2##shallow#Sys1#

%

Soft%doctrine,%1st%degree%

(protocols)%

Formal%protocols%governing%

etiquette,%manners,%order,%and%

behaviour%in%contextWspecific%

situations%

%

Formal%skills.%%

%

May%be%written%down,%but%text%&%

experts%no%longer%needed%when%

assimilated%

%

%

Rules#often#broken,#but#not#often#

collectively#

#

#

#


Concrete.%Is%learned%

through%minimally%formal%

instruction,%immersion,%

and%mimicry%

%

Can%be%shown%to%be%an%

abstract%rule%with%

intellectual%effort.%Difficult%

to%explain%

Intuitive#/#mostly#sub;

conscious#

%

Sys%1.%%

%

%

%

Soft%doctrine,%2nd%degree%

Techniques%of%the%Body,%1st%

Order%

%

%

Informal%skills%required%to%

function%effectively%within%a%

group%

Possibilities of movement and

prescribed activities available or

not to members of a society.

Rarely%written%down%and%expertW

led.%Organic%and%highly%interactive%

%

Rule#is#rarely#broken,#almost#

always#individually#

Completely%enskilled.#

Permeates%deepest%

assumptions%and%emotions#

about%the%order%of%things.%%

%

Extremely%difficult%to%be%

retranslated%and%

relativized%as%an%abstract%

rule.%Requires%deep%

unlearning#and%strong%

discomfort#

%

%

Intuitive#

Subconscious##

%

Deep#System#1.##

%

Doxa%

%

Techniques%of%the%body,%%

2nd%order%

%

common%sense,%common%

knowledge,%convictions,%taste,%

desire,%repulsion,%fear,%etc%

%

ways%of%walking,%sleeping,%eating,%

sitting,%feeling,%etc%

%

everyday%action%and%cognition%

%

never%formally%written%down%as%a%

code%

%

%

overall,%rule%is%never%broken.%%

%

%


%

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

%

%

%

%

%

%

% % %

% %

% %

%

% % %

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

1:%Dogma%

2:%Protocol%

3:%Soft%Doctrine%

4:%Doxa%

%

thinking%voice%

consciousness%zone%

%%%%%%%%%%1%

%

%%%%%%%2%

%

%

%%%%%%%3%

%

%

%

%

% 4%

ANTH%358%Veissire%%%%%Scripts,%Consciousness,%&%Features%of%Ordinary%Ritual%(Adapted%from%Turner,%Rappaport,%Boyer%&%

Linard)%

Script'&'Consci.' Features'of'Ritual' Type'of''body' Type'of'sign/symbol'

Doxa%(implicit)%%

%

actors'of'ritual'

cannot'explain'why'

they'feel'compelled'

to'engage'in'action,'

or'will'have'a'

variety'of'

incommensurable'

explanations'

%

%

No%obvious%goal;%goal%demotion%

Feeling%of%compulsion%

%

%

INDIVIDUAL%

BODY%

Instrumental%symbols%

(context%specific,%elusive,%

personal,%propositional,%

etc.)%

%

Dogma%(explicit)%

with'some'effort,'all'

these'rules'can'be'

identified'and'

explained'by'actors.''

Goals'remain'

elusive'

%

Literalism%&%rigidity%

Repetition,%reiteration,%redundancy%

Order%&%boundaries%

Specific%occasions%

Danger%of/anxiety%about%non%performance%

Detailed%prescriptions%

%

%

POLITICAL%

BODY%

Signs%

Dominant%symbols%

(relatively%fixed%

dominant%references;%

may%refer%to%elusive%

categories%nonetheless%

posited%to%exist)%

Interpretation%

significant'context'

worked'out'by'

anthropologists%

Ritual/ordinary%action%always%

includes/refers'to%more%symbols,%persons,%

things%and%states%of%affairs%than%what%is%

readily%apparent%in%the%observable%features%

of%specific%action%

%

Ritual/ordinary%action%always%has'

consequences'on%persons,%things%and%states%

of%affairs%that%are%not%readily%apparent.%

%%%%%All%three% %

SOCIAL%

BODY%

358$Veissire$$$$One$Example$of$Goal$Demotion$in$Ritual$$ $

A$student$asked$me$to$explain$goal?demotion$in$the$case$of$an$apparently$obvious$

ritual:$

$

Ritual:$$$many$woman$put$on$lip?stick$before$being$seen$in$public$

Apparent$goal:$women$want$their$lips$to$look$a$certain$colour.$$

$

Now$we$need$to$unpack$how,$in$theory$and$practice,$there$is$no$such$apparent$goal.$$

$

Lets$recap:$$

$

1)$many$women$feel$compelled$to$put$on$lipstick$(and$will$feel$uncomfortable$being$

seen$without$it,$etc.)$

$

2)$each$woman$will$hold$a$different$interpretation$as$to$why$they$chose$to$put$on$

lipstick$in$general,$and$specific$brands$and$styles$of$lip?stick$in$particular.$$

$

3)$theorists$of$the$ritual$will$be$tempted$to$propose$different$meanings$to$the$'goal'$

of$putting$on$lipstick.$$

$

So,$for$3),$e.g.,$it$is$tempting$to$say$that$[hypothesis$A]$women$put$on$lip?stick$to$

"look$pretty".$But$that$is$a$very$fuzzy$concept$with$a$meaning$that$is$both$too$

private$and$too$collective$to$be$presented$without$further$explanation.$One$needs$to$

get$into$how$concepts$of$pretty,$but$also$woman,$and$the$right$kind$of$pretty,$and$

the$right$kind$of$woman$come$into$being,$and$how$they$are$actualized$in$ritual.$

Some$old?school$symbolic$anthropologists,$for$example,$may$propose$that$the$red$

symbolizes$x$or$y$aspect$of$some$idea$of$a$feminine$"essence",$perhaps$related$to$

blood,$or$sexual$organs,$etc.$Functionalists$will$come$up$with$related$categories$for$

other$kinds$of$lipsticks$and$what$the$colour$or$texture$(e.g.,$pink,$gloss,$black)$

symbolizes$and$what$kind$of$groups$(e.g.,$age$group,$fashion$niches,$subcultures$$

goths,$valley$girls,$bourgeois$professionals,$etc.)$the$lip?stick$symbolizes$

membership$and$status$within.$$Marxists$and$different$kinds$of$feminists,$as$another$

example,$will$point$out$that$there$is$a$whole$industry$set$up$to$make$women$

conform$to$particular$styles$of$femininity.$Does$the$industry$exist$to$respond$to$a$

consensus$of$needs$to$be$feminine$in$that$way,$or$does$the$need$exist$because$of$the$

industry?$Who$can$say$for$sure?$Other$kinds$of$skeptics$will$claim$that$ritualized$

lipstick?putting$and$displaying$serve$to$legitimize$one$or$several$models$of$

femininity,$or$to$separate$genders$into$clusters$of$performance.$$

$

All$of$these$are$valid$explanations,$but$only$within$whatever$theoretical$model$

anthropologists$are$interested$in$promoting:$and$the$sky$is$the$limit$in$terms$of$

models$we$might$want$to$present.$And$it$gets$much$more$complicated$at$the$level$of$

individual$agency$and$volition$for$people$who$engage$in$the$ritual.$$Would$most$

women$agree$with$symbolic$and/or$functionalist$explanations?$Probably$not.$As$

such,$we$can't$simply$impose$our$interpretation$on$people$who$hold$a$variety$of$

beliefs$about$what$they$do$and$why$they$do$it.$$$

358$Veissire$$$$One$Example$of$Goal$Demotion$in$Ritual$$ $

$

What$is$the$'true'$goal$of$the$ritual$then?$What$'reasons'$for$wearing$makeup$would$

5$different$women$from$one$kind$of$group$(say,$white$middleclass$millennial?

generation$mcgill$students)$give$you?$What$about$300$women$from$different$

demographics?$$You$would$get$a$huge$variety$of$answers,$most$of$them$on$the$'well,$

i$dunno,$because$i$like$it'$theme.$

$

In$the$end,$we$just$can't$ascribe$one$universal$reason$why$women$put$on$make$up.$$

$

But$we$can$note,$however,$that:$

$

4)$$most$women$wear$lipstick$and$makeup$because$other$women$wear$lipstick$and$

makeup.$$

$

$

Documents

Veissiere Theorizing Ritual Practice Doxa Consequence-libre