Degradation Ceremonies: How degradation ceremonies are used as a means of social control
Degradation ceremonies are a not-so subtle means of formal and informal social controls in a variety of institutional as well as informal contexts. The ceremonies suggest to the initiates involved that they must behave in such a fashion or else they will be socially ostracized. Degradation ceremonies need not be formal social or religious rituals -- for example, the House Un-American Activities anti-communist witch hunts could be seen as a form of degradation ceremony, even for those who were not legally charged with a crime or imprisoned. The mere threat of tainting of the supposedly offending individual with the label of communist, if he or she did not 'name names' could condemn the accused person in the eyes of the public, and degrade the accused person's name and reputation in the formalized context of the ceremony or ritual of the congressional hearing. Other less public but equally insidious degradation ceremonies are seen in fraternity hazing rituals, whereby individual's distinct social identities are impugned upon, so that the individual may enjoy the supposed privilege of becoming part of a social collective of individuals, who enforce conformist rules but offer exclusive privileges of membership.
Social controls through degradation can thus take place through official and unofficial channels and provide a respite from loneliness as well as relief from the threat of being cast out of a particular society. A cynic might call the military means of basic training a degradation ritual of sorts, whereby the ego as well as the body of the central participants being initiated is broken down, so that it might be built up again, only now within the cohesive unit of the organization, after the young trainee's sense of self has been rendered fragile in its individual state. The purpose of this degradation, however, is to further military defense of a nation -- unlike degradation ceremonies such as the unofficial degradation, for example, of a new student at a school who is summarily made to feel poorly about him or herself, so that he or she will feel a need to be socially 'needy' towards those possessing power, and conform his or her behavior, like a military recruit to a preexisting social criteria.
Social Psychology Studies: Explaining Irrational Individual Behavior by Understanding Group Dynamics Social psychology is, as its name suggests, a science that blends the fields of psychology, which is the study of the individual, and sociology, which is the study of groups. Social psychology examines how the individual is influenced by the group. It looks at the influence of group or cultural norms on individual behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. However, because group
For example, the young woman knows it is wrong because her friends have spoken to her in the past about how awful stealing is. They have seen her steal before and told her that she is wrong. Among her friends, she is known as a thief. Deviance here has less to do with self-determination than the judgment of others. It is this external judgment of the audience that acts
What is the role of the family in the continuing process of female circumcisions? One of the difficulties in trying to stop the practice of female circumcisions is the central role of the family, particularly women, in perpetuating the practice. Because the girls' mothers have had the procedure performed upon themselves, they assume it is normal, and feel that their girls should have to endure what they endured. Also, even if
Ancient Roman Culture: Dressing for Democracy Ancient Roman Culture DRESSING FOR DEMOCRACY Governance, Food, Clothing, Jewelry and Marriage Ancient Roman Influences Some have argued that for good or for bad the Ancient Romans put the people into democracy. They sought to give life to the Greek concept of governance by the people, often by establishing rules and expectations that would encourage its citizens to be equally recognized, at least within certain parameters. Even though it
The proprietor, Scully, is unable to calm the Swede down, unsuccessfully, and the Swede makes an ominous prediction. "I know I won't get out of here alive," he says. Scully attempts to lay the blame at his son Johnnie's feet, but the Swede will not be swayed. "I will leave this house. I will go away, because I do not wish to be killed. Yes, of course, I am crazy
In addition, the ceremony also contained firecrackers which were symbolic of purification and joy. The food that was served at a marriage ceremony was also symbolic. For example, fruit and longevity noodles were symbolic of harmony, happiness, and prosperity. Indeed the marriage arrangement was detailed and extravagant (for the wealthy) during the Qing dynasty. Now that we understand the marital arrangement let us focus on the role of the ideal
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