Arts & Culture
The Anthropology of Rituals and Symbolic Meaning Making
Quick fact
Cultural anthropologists have shown that rituals can be 'efficacious' even when they don't change the physical world, because they transform the participants' social and psychological reality—for instance, a handshake can turn strangers into acquaintances and signify trust.
Why this is interesting
Every society, from a family dinner to a national parade, relies on rituals that seem ordinary yet carry profound meaning—but how does a repeated action become a religious mystery or a sign of loyalty?