academic-paper1969
The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (Victor Turner, 1969)
Creators / Authors: Victor W. Turner
"Foundational anthropological text examining the liminal phase of rites of passage and defining 'communitas' as an egalitarian social bond transcending formal hierarchy."
Access External Source / Publication ↗Scholarly Synopsis
In The Ritual Process, Victor Turner explores the transformative power of the liminal period within human rituals, drawing upon fieldwork among the Ndembu of Zambia and comparative global religious traditions.
Key Analytical Contributions
- Communitas vs. Structure: Turner delineates the dialectic between structured institutional hierarchy and the unstructured, spontaneous equality of communitas.
- Liminal Vulnerability: The shedding of previous social rank creates acute psychological receptivity to new normative values imparted by ritual elders.
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