Failure Impossible? Handling Of Rules, Mistakes And Failure In Public Rituals Of Modern Western Societies

Abstract

Public rituals in modern western societies are the subject of this chapter. These rituals are part of the political or cultural field of society. They are performed by institutions which are exposed to the public eye. The performance ritual marks the social interface between the individual and the collective or the institution, which may change their mutual assessment. In the main a distinction can be made between three different types of ritual: those of consecration, initiation and conversion. The chapter deals with the general criteria of the ritual action. Then, it presents some case studies. The chapter discusses the question of what happens if one of the two sides-the institution or the individual/prize winner-cannot accept the result of the ritual process. Regarding public ritual or ritualised performances in socio-cultural areas of modern societies, it can be assumed that during the phase of performative execution mistakes will not lead to failure.Keywords: political field; Public Rituals; social interface; Western Societies