Description - Ritual Communication by Eric W. (Walter) Rothenbuhler
From family traditions, through weddings and funerals, to state ceremonies and media events, rites and ceremonies mark socially important occasions, define beginnings and endings, and aid social transitions. Ritual and ceremonial as formal modes of conduct are equally ubiquitous, appearing in everything from modes of talk and rules of politeness to elaborate protocols for events of state. Ritual and rite, ceremonial and ceremony are symbolic social actions, and thus modes of communication, that implicate individuals in the social order, creating realities while expressing ideas and attitudes about them. This text combines bibliographic essay and theory construction to provide a perspective on ritual as a special and powerful form of communication. Part One is a critical review of definitions of ritual from anthropology, sociology, communication studies and other literatures, ending with a theoretical essay on the contributions of communication theory to understanding ritual.
Part Two is a critical review of the uses of the term ritual in communication studies literature, covering mediated rituals and ceremonies, ritualistic media uses and audience activities, political, rhetorical and civic rituals, rituals of everyday interaction, rituals of organizational life and finally, a conception of communication itself as ritual.
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