Body Ritual Among the Nacirema

The sociological standpoint is that culture is based on rituals and that each culture defines its reality and acceptable behavior and chooses its authorities by rituals. These rituals help us discover our knowledge because it makes the rituals the authority and those who follow it the ones that know the truth as our society defines it.  Sociologists define rituals as what you do on a regular basis, repeated over time; that which joins people together; shared beliefs; assigned roles; loyalty.

Structural-functional sociologist Emile Durkheim theorized that rituals support social order and roles and shared sets of values holds people together. Since rituals impose these roles and values, they create social solidarity.

Sociology is not the only view from which to view rituals.  However, the point is that rituals hold together a society (not all societies). Rituals are part of what makes a society; thus, in order to understand someone of a different sociological background, one must think outside the box that is America’s way of viewing things.