Sorority Rituals - Reflections On Rites of ... - Mari Ann Callais
Sorority Rituals - Reflections On Rites of ... - Mari Ann Callais
Sorority Rituals - Reflections On Rites of ... - Mari Ann Callais
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itual from the performance perspective. Further, his theory that ritual can be looked at in five<br />
different ways explains the participants’ references to ritual as a connection that bonds them<br />
together. Turner theorized that one way <strong>of</strong> viewing ritual is “as a structure, connecting with<br />
formal qualities and relationships.” This connecting <strong>of</strong> relationships is clearly experienced by the<br />
participants. They indicated ritual as a connection <strong>of</strong> sisters within the chapter, chapters with<br />
other chapters, and even today’s members with the (deceased) founding members <strong>of</strong> their<br />
organization. Turner also stated that ritual can be viewed “as experience, as what a person<br />
individually or as part <strong>of</strong> a collective feels.” This, too, is supported by the women’s comments.<br />
They spoke <strong>of</strong> ritual giving a deeper meaning to the sorority. <strong>On</strong>e participant echoed Turner’s<br />
description <strong>of</strong> ritual “as a performance process” by stating that the way that the ritual is presented<br />
makes the difference in if it is understood.<br />
Several <strong>of</strong> the participants indicated that they saw the ritual ceremonies as activities that<br />
they were required do in order to be considered active members <strong>of</strong> the sorority. Some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
participants indicated that monetary penalties were imposed on members if they did not<br />
participate in ritual. Participants who labeled ritual as a “boring” ceremony or as something “that<br />
they had to do” indicated a lack <strong>of</strong> any connection between their sorority experience and their<br />
feelings toward ritual. They may have enjoyed their sorority experience because <strong>of</strong> other aspects,<br />
such as social or what they referred to as “sisterhood,” but for those participants, the ritual<br />
ceremony was not a meaningful experience.<br />
Women’s Development Within the <strong>Sorority</strong> Experience<br />
The third major theme revolved around the participants’ perception <strong>of</strong> their personal<br />
development, as well as the development <strong>of</strong> others who were sharing the sorority experience. The<br />
perspective <strong>of</strong> the participants led to the identification <strong>of</strong> three components within this theme: (a)<br />
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