Structural Ritualization Theory Research Articles

Elder Crimes of the Law Abiding: Backwards Dresses, Covered Up Messes, and Nursing Homes

This article uses data from 75 biographies, autobiographies, and research monographs on nursing homes to explore physical neglect and abuse. Linked to crimes of the law abiding concepts, it implies employees see maltreatment as “normal.” It extends lines of research examining bureaucratic forces and their influence on nursing homes. It also provides a history of elder care in the UK and US and a review of structural ritualization theory. Findings concentrate on how rituals involving hierarchical structure, work efficiency, documentation, and rules adversely influence care homes. This includes physical maltreatment involving employee neglect of personal needs of residents, failing to provide medical help, bodily harm, and not maintaining quality living spaces.

Facebook rituals: Identifying rituals of social networking sites using structural ritualization theory

AbstractThis article applies structural ritualization theory (SRT) to identify different rituals and determine their importance in the daily lives of social networking sites (SNS) users, especially Facebook users. A mixed‐methods approach of in‐depth interviews and netnography viewed through the lens of SRT allowed us to identify and analyze the types of rituals users engaged in, and how these rituals impacted users and evolved over time. During customer journeys on the SNS of Facebook, users shared daily ritual practices in distinct behavioral stages. Production and consumption of these daily rituals are important to marketers in SNS platform design for building and maintaining connectivity between users and the SNS platform.

Virtual Rituals: Community, Emotion, and Ritual in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games—A Quantitative Test and Extension of Structural Ritualization Theory

Millions of people worldwide immerse themselves in massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These games generate large, diverse communities that engage in rituals within the game, completing missions or quests. What role do these MMORPG rituals play in commitment to these gaming communities? To address this question, we extend structural ritualization theory to explain the impact of ritual events and emotion on commitment to community in the game World of Warcraft. Our findings suggest that players focused on inanimate resources are less committed than players who focus on social aspects of the ritual events inside the game. We also find that emotional investment is a good predictor of commitment to community.

How’d You Do It? Applying Structural Ritualization Theory to Drug Treatment Courts

A wealth of studies have been conducted on drug treatment courts (DTCs) over the past two decades. However, relatively few studies have employed qualitative research methods, and even fewer are grounded in social science theory. Using structural ritualization theory (SRT), this research provides a theoretical framework for understanding specifically how DTC programs effect change in the lives of participants and the influence of DTC organizational structure on this process using qualitative methods. Data for this study were collected from semi-structured interviews with 23 DTC graduates previously enrolled in either Kalamazoo or Van Buren County DTC, both of which are located in southwest Michigan. Findings reveal support for SRT as a useful approach identifying the mechanisms of change within the DTC program that contribute to participant success.

‘I was trying to make my stay there more positive’: rituals and routines in Canadian prisons

Researchers have demonstrated how engaging in rituals or ‘patterned’ behaviors can help people cope with stressful situations and significant life changes. Yet, knowledge of the role of ritual and routine practices for, or how each are used by, federally incarcerated Canadian men is limited. To respond to this lacuna, we analyzed transcripts from 56 semi-structured in-depth interviews with former male federal prisoners released on parole for emergent themes related to ritual and routine practices across prisons of different security classifications. Findings reveal the effectiveness of rituals for managing and mitigating the stresses of incarceration, specifically how prisoners’ routine behaviors constitute a positive strategy of adaption to incarceration (e.g. alleviating stress and passing time), in preparation for life post-incarceration. Structural ritualization theory frames the analyses and implications presented in this study.

A Theoretical Model of Drug/DUI Courts: An Application of Structural Ritualization Theory

Past studies of Drug/DUI courts primarily focused on outcome evaluation and policy-driven issues, but lacked an effective theoretical framework for understanding drug court programs, in particular the interaction between the program and clients. In this study, we apply structural ritualization theory (SRT) to the Drug/DUI program and argue that such programs serve two key functions, to disrupt clients’ old rituals (e.g., drug/alcohol abuse, committing crimes), and to help lay a foundation for building new abstinent and noncriminal ritualized practices for clients both in and after the drug court program. We further argue that the effectiveness of drug program functions and services at the organizational level and the success of clients’ transformation at the individual level can be empirically measured and studied by four elements of SRT, including salience, repetitiveness, homologousness, and resources. Policy implications are drawn based on the contribution of SRT.

Ritualized ethnic identity: Asian Indian immigrants in the southern plains

ABSTRACTThis study examines identity construction among first-generation Asian Indian immigrants who reside in the Southern Plains region of the United States. Employing structural ritualization theory this study focuses on how three types of ritualized behaviors - regional-ethnic, pan-ethnic, and host - play a crucial role in constructing “multi-ritual” ethnic identity of Indian immigrants. In determining the rank or overall importance of ritualized symbolic practices (RSPs) we argue that the higher the rank of a practice, the greater its impact on the cognitions and behaviors of immigrants. The results of this qualitative study indicate that in the process of ethnic identity formation, Indian immigrants negotiate with their distinctive pan-Indian RSPs, retain and alter their regional-Indian RSPs, and bring their ethnicity into the mainstream society. This study contributes to the micro-sociological analysis of ethnic identity and enhances our empirical understanding of an understudied Asian Indian immigrant community.

Senior Companion Program Volunteers: Exploring Experiences, Transformative Rituals, and Recruitment/Retention Issues

Senior Companion Programs (SCPs) help the homebound elderly. They operate through local Area Agencies on Aging, but any nonprofit institution can apply for funding and operate a SCP. Program volunteers are 55 and older. They visit qualified elderly clients, which includes people who do not have the ability to fully care for themselves. Volunteers provide social interaction to clients, but they also provide a minimal level of services, such as grocery shopping, light housekeeping, and respite for caregivers. Examining the experiences of volunteers in these programs can help us better understand why actively engaging with others is important as we age. It can also help us establish a knowledge base that aids in our understanding of how to recruit and retain senior volunteers. This article uses data gathered from phenomenologically based, qualitative in-depth interviews of 10 SCP volunteers. Focusing on volunteer experiences, it uses structural ritualization theory to analyze various volunteer activities, which the research considers ritualized symbolic practices. It also considers how transformative rituals within a SCP impact volunteerism, and it provides recommendations on how to increase SCP volunteer recruitment and retain volunteers. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.

Organizational and Leadership Practice of Micro Ethnic Entrepreneurship in Multicultural Context: A Structural Reproduction Analysis

One of the salient developments in North America’s direct selling industry is the increasing diversity in both distributor and clientele base. It has been frequently noted that direct selling organizations comprised of certain ethnic minorities have been exceptional in terms of stability and growth in contrast to the industry’s reputation for a high turnover rate. Focusing on direct selling organizations led by ethnic entrepreneurs of Chinese immigrants, the current study employs structural ritualization theory and the concept of structural reproduction and considers organizational and leadership practices that are adapted by the immigrant entrepreneurs from their culture and pre-immigration experience. Utilizing participation observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (along with document analysis), this study re-visits the time-honored issues of immigrant economic adaptation in a contemporary, multicultural context. Implications for future research, industry, and public policy based on our findings are also briefly discussed.

Urban Ritual Events and Coping with Disaster Risk a Case Study of Lalitpur, Nepal

This study analyzes the role of ritual for enhancing the capacity of a community in Nepal to adapt to disaster risk. Personal accounts of 1934 earthquake survivors of Lalitpur City were recorded and analyzed to better understand the social dynamics that occurred during this event. This data was supplemented and expanded upon with more recent interviews, observations, and other forms of evidence concerning the experiences of modern-day residents in this community. We employ structural ritualization theory and its key concepts—salience, repetitiveness, homologousness, and resources—to investigate how ritualized symbolic practices contribute to the social capacity of a community to cope with disasters. Findings reveal that people engage in various ritualized activities before, during, and after disasters and these practices enhance their ability to cope with such situations and revive a normal social life. Finally, implications of this study and the need for further research are discussed.

Exchange, Conflict and Coercion: The Ritual Dynamics of the Notting Hill Carnival Past and Present

This study investigates patterns of social relationships involving the Notting Hill Carnival. Two theoretical approaches are employed elementary relations theory and structural ritualization theory - to explain how the carnival has been strategically used in very different ways by various groups to accomplish their objectives. We suggest the Notting Hill Carnival is a special collective ritual event that has played a crucial role in three quite different structured arrangements involving coercion, conflict, and exchange since its beginning in Trinidad and subsequently in London. Four time periods where distinct changes in the nature of these relationships have occurred are examined: (1) 1800s Trinidad; (2) the Notting Hill Carnival from 1965-1970; (3) the Notting Hill Carnival from 1971-1989; and (4) the Notting Hill Carnival from 1990-present. This study contributes to the existing literature by focusing on how ritual and these types of relationships are intertwined in the production of the carnival. Implications of this research and possible directions for future research are also discussed.

The Orange Order: Parades, other Rituals, and Their Outcomes

This study investigates the ritualized practices engaged in by members of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland and how participating in such activities affects group members and that society; for example, how rituals such as parading contribute to the beliefs and ultimately the power of the Orange Order. This study contributes to a growing body of work dealing with the relationship between ritual, symbolism, and power in modern society, in this case Northern Ireland. We employ structural ritualization theory to analyze the overall rank or strength of ritualized activities engaged in by members of the Orange Order. Based upon observational data, interviews, and the analysis of documents, we conclude that the rituals engaged in by members of the Orange Order are highly ranked, ritualized, symbolic practices. We further suggest that these practices express several themes; preliminary evidence suggests that these themes lead to outcomes that affect the Orange Order and Northern Irish society generally.

Interpreting an urban ritual event in terms of improving the capacity to cope with disaster risk: A case study of Kathmandu

This study uses structural ritualization theory to analyze an urban ritual event and interprets its potential role in enhancing the capacity of the community to cope with disaster risks. The case study area is the urban community of Lalitpur, Nepal, which organizes an annual ritual event. The study area is located in a dense metropolitan region that is predicted to be under eminent threats of natural hazards such as earthquakes. An extensive field survey accompanied by interviews was carried out with the local respondents, organizers and authorities involved in the ritual event to study the ritualized symbolic practices during the event. Field observations, experience and understanding of the ritualized symbolic practices in the study area are also elucidated. The relative standing (or rank) of ritualized symbolic practices that are ingrained within the social life of people are considered as the capacity to cope with stress by use of the Structural Ritualization Theory (SRT). Then, the study attempts to interpret the urban ritual in terms of improving social capacity to cope with disaster risks in a pre-disaster context.

Illusions of Affection: Bureaucratic Ritualization's Relation to Emotional Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Homes

This research uses 40 ethnographies, biographies, and autobiographies to explore various symbolic themes expressed through everyday interaction in nursing homes. The themes involve bureaucratic concepts such as staff separation, rules, documentation, and efficiency. They also involve ideas of emotional abuse and neglect, like objectification, compassion transgressions, and spiritual negligence. Relying on structural ritualization theory, we argue ritualized symbolic practices of bureaucracy unintentionally facilitate attitudes and acts of emotional neglect in both for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes. This assists in the development of rituals facilitating the poor treatment of residents. Overall, we propose that if society is going to have humane care for nursing home residents, it must first understand the ritual dynamics that lead to employees viewing and treating those they care for with a lack of dignity.

Ecological stress and deritualization in East Asia: Ritual practices during dark age phases

Despite highlighting the implications of resource over utilization and scarcity on social systems, recent studies under explore the impact of environmental stress on culture. Specifically, further research is needed to understand the importance of natural resources for ritual practices. This study utilizes structural ritualization theory to analyze historical periods characterized by ecological degradation and deritualization. The period examined corresponds to the former and latter Han Dynasties, a moment in time that saw the first universal history of China written and where discussion of ritual appears prominently in historical documents. In addition to primary texts, secondary sources are used to examine deritualization and the continuity, abandonment, and emergence of new ritual practices. The results demonstrate that despite periods of resource unavailability social rituals survive. By tracing the introduction of Chinese ceramics and burial practices into the Korean peninsula and Japan, we see the strategies human communities employ when they can no longer obtain needed materials to practice specific rituals. Key words: Structural ritualization, environment, dark ages, ritual.

Sacrificing Women: A Study of Ritualized Practices among Women Volunteers in India

This study addresses issues related to inequality formation and reproduction, especially in regard to gender dynamics operating in a non-western society. Grounded in a post-colonial understanding of urban educated upper and middle class women NGO volunteers in contemporary India, it analyzes how they negotiate new approaches to challenge existing traditional gender roles, yet in critical ways contribute to their reproduction, particularly the traditional concept of ideal Indian womanhood. Employing structural ritualization theory we examine how ritualized symbolic practices related to the traditional concepts of caretaking, sacrifice, and the concept of natural sexual differences continue to be emphasized in a generation confronted with conflicting expectations about modern women’s roles. Twenty-one testimonies provide the major source of evidence along with data gathered through participant observation. This research enhances our understanding of the power of rituals and how they can continue to shape the cognitions and activities of actors.

THE SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF ELDER CARE: RITUALS OF BUREAUCRACY AND PHYSICAL NEGLECT IN NURSING HOMES

This research concerns nursing home rituals involving bureaucracy and physical neglect. It uses 40 ethnographies, biographies, and autobiographies to explore various symbolic themes expressed through everyday interaction in nursing homes. The themes involve bureaucratic concepts such as staff separation, rules, documentation, and efficiency. They also involve ideas of physical neglect, such as medical dereliction, personal negligence, environmental negligence, and bodily harm. Relying on structural ritualization theory, this work argues ritualized symbolic practices of bureaucracy unintentionally manufacture attitudes and acts of mercilessness for workers in both for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes. This aids in the development of rituals facilitating the physical maltreatment of residents.

Long-term Care Workers and Bureaucracy the Occupational Ritualization of Maltreatment in Nursing Homes and Recommended Policies

This article proposes that occupational rituals are an important part of social life for long-term care workers. Using 40 biographies, autobiographies, and research monographs to examine nursing homes, it reviews various symbolic themes expressed through daily work rituals in nursing homes. The themes involve concepts related to the culture of bureaucracy. This includes staff separation, rules, documentation, efficiency, and meetings. Using structural ritualization theory, we suggest that certain ritualized symbolic practices that express these themes influence the behaviors of nursing home employees shaping the thoughts and social interaction of nursing home staff members, creating occupational ritualization. Ritualized symbolic practices also contribute to the unintended maltreatment of residents. However, we believe alternative policies can generate work rituals with the potential to replace or offset the negative impacts of bureaucracy on maltreatment.

Disaster and deritualization: A re-interpretation of findings from early disaster research

This study investigates how ritual practices are disrupted in disasters and the ways people deal with those situations. We employ structural ritualization theory to conduct this investigation focusing on deritualization, which refers to the breakdown or loss of ritualized activities that occur in daily life. The thesis of this paper is that ritual practices are disrupted in a disaster leading to the breakdown of action and meaning. Data were collected from 19 seminal sociological studies from the National Academy of Sciences published first under the name of the Committee on Disaster Studies (1951–1957) and then under the rubric of the Disaster Research Group (1957–1962). A content analysis of these studies revealed many instances of deritualization. Deritualization is manifested or most evident through its effects on action and meaning in rituals. Examples were categorized according to the loss of action, meaning, or a combination of both.

Exposing Enron: Media representations of ritualized deviance in corporate culture

This article argues that rituals are an important part of corporate culture. However, they can involve deviance. Employing multiple media sources, this study identifies symbolic themes expressed through daily work rituals at Enron's corporate headquarters. The themes involve risk, gratification, pride, and fantasy imagery. Utilizing structural ritualization theory, this article suggests that ritualized symbolic practices expressing these themes extensively influenced Enron employees. They shaped their cognitions, patterns of behavior, and social interaction. They also led to the normalization and reproduction of deviance. The findings of this study contribute to research on organizational deviance and structural ritualization.