О влиянии медийного пространства на функции ритуала

Abstract

This article attempts to trace the transformation of ritual in modern society under the influence of media space, Internet resources, social and virtual networks. The result of solving this problem is the identification of changes in the form and content of ritual. Possible ways of interpenetration of ritual and media space are considered. Ritual, which is the object of study of many sciences, is defined as a preserved sequence of actions with certain practical applications, or as a complex symbolic religious system. Being a symbolic system and language, ritual fulfills a social function – the formation of society. The symbolic content of ritual is associated not only with its mythical or religious worldview, but also with the ability to separate the ordinary profane from the sacred. The main function of ritual is the uniting of society. Thanks to ritual, historical memory is actualized, the social worldview is transmitted to all individuals of the group, and social hierarchy is built. Rituals of initiation and transition contribute to the definition of identity by an individual, a person learns and accepts his status and place in society. Ritual tends to keep society from disintegration, preserves it; being dramatically played, it re-presents the social, builds it up and encloses it from other social groups. Thus, it is possible to consider rituals forming generally accepted values as reference points for a person in social life that consolidate people. The article analyzes the mutual influence of ritual and media-virtual space on the example of Charles III’s coronation ritual. The prerequisites for such a comparison are the ideas of F. Stahl and R. Rappoport, who describe the external form of ritual as performance. The article identifies three levels of the collision between ritual and media. Firstly, ritual in modern conditions moves as any event of human life to the level of media and the Internet, becoming publications on social networks, public and virtual pages. Secondly, it is possible to broadcast ritual to a huge number of people through radio, television, and the Internet, which gives the possibility of parallel translation, comments, discussions, clarifications, and references. Thirdly, media penetrate the very form of ritual as a way of performing it. Such characteristics of media as a special perception of time and place, a regulated form, social positions of participants, audience as a group, a bright expressive character, performance, a certain set of attitudes connect them with ritual, contribute to their interaction and transformation. Ritual, remaining an ontological part of human life, reflects social changes and influences their formation.