Detailed Information on Publication Record
2014
Extreme Rituals as Social Technologies
FISCHER, Ronald and Dimitrios XYGALATASBasic information
Original name
Extreme Rituals as Social Technologies
Authors
FISCHER, Ronald (840 United States of America, guarantor) and Dimitrios XYGALATAS (300 Greece, belonging to the institution)
Edition
Journal of Cognition and Culture, Brill, 2014, 1567-7095
Other information
Language
English
Type of outcome
Článek v odborném periodiku
Field of Study
60300 6.3 Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
Country of publisher
Netherlands
Confidentiality degree
není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství
RIV identification code
RIV/00216224:14210/14:00078423
Organization unit
Faculty of Arts
Keywords in English
ritual; pain; suffering; experimental anthropology; evolution
Tags
Tags
International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 1/3/2015 21:48, Mgr. Vendula Hromádková
Abstract
V originále
We often think of pain as intrinsically bad, and the avoidance of pain is a fundamental evolutionary drive of all species. How can we then explain widespread cultural practices like certain rituals that involve the voluntary infliction of physical pain? In this paper, we argue that inflicting and experiencing pain in a ritual setting may serve important psychological and social functions. By providing psychological relief and leading to stronger identification with the group, such practices may result in a positive feedback loop, which serves both to increase the social cohesion of the community and the continuation of the ritual practices themselves. We argue that although the selective advantage of participation lies at the individual level, the benefits of those practices de facto extend to the group level, thereby allowing extreme rituals to function as effective social technologies.
Links
| EE2.3.20.0048, research and development project |
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