The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious
ritual participation

k 2018

The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious ritual participation

MAŇO, Peter, Xygalatas DIMITRIS, Shaver JOHN H. and Bahna VLADIMÍR

Basic information

Original name

The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious ritual participation

Name in Czech

Dopady socio-ekonomického statusu na povahu participácie v náboženských rituáloch

Authors

MAŇO, Peter, Xygalatas DIMITRIS, Shaver JOHN H. and Bahna VLADIMÍR

Edition

Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual convention, Atlanta 2018, 2018

Other information

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords (in Czech)

rituál; náboženstvo; socio-ekonomický status; nákladná signalizácia

Keywords in English

ritual; religion; socio-economic status; costly signaling

Abstract

V originále

In January of 2014, our research team set out on an expedition to the island of Mauritius to collect data on the annual religious festival, celebrated by the local Tamil community - the Thaipusam Kavadi. On the day of the ceremony, thousands of devotees and spectators gather in the city of Quatre Bornes to commemorate the defeat of the demonic forces by Murugan, god of war. The ritual ordeals of the adherents symbolize the mythical victory through body (cheeks, tounges, skin) piercings with skewers and needles. Most men also carry kavadis on their shoulders, which are heavy (<30 kg) decorated structures, while others drag big chariots instead, attached to their hips and backs with hooks. The celebration culminates with a procession under the burning tropical mid-summer sun, with attendees walking to the temple barefoot on hot asphalt roads. Our data show that men with lower socio-economic status (SES) have more piercings, bigger kavadis, and spend more time preparing them, compared to men with higher SES. Furthermore, regular temple attendance predicts participation only for men with higher SES. In light of the costly signaling theory, we see these behaviors as costly signals of religious devotion with different predictions for the costs involved relative to SES. Whereas high SES participants invest in status maintenance (paying relative lower costs) and low SES participants invest in status achievement (paying relative higher costs). Thus, religious ritual participation may function as a strategy for status management with implications for inclusive fitness of participants.

Links

EE2.3.20.0048, research and development project

Name: Laboratoř pro experimentální výzkum náboženství

Citovat

MAŇO, Peter, Xygalatas DIMITRIS, Shaver JOHN H. and Bahna VLADIMÍR. The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious ritual participation. In Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual convention, Atlanta 2018. 2018.

@proceedings{1443876,
   author = {Maňo, Peter and Dimitris, Xygalatas and John H., Shaver and Vladimír, Bahna},
   booktitle = {Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual convention, Atlanta 2018},
   keywords = {ritual; religion; socio-economic status; costly signaling},
   title = {The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious ritual participation},
   year = {2018}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 1443876
AU  - Maňo, Peter - Dimitris, Xygalatas - John H., Shaver - Vladimír, Bahna
PY  - 2018
TI  - The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious ritual participation
KW  - ritual
KW  - religion
KW  - socio-economic status
KW  - costly signaling
N2  - In January of 2014, our research team set out on an expedition to the island of Mauritius to collect data on the annual religious festival, celebrated by the local Tamil community - the Thaipusam Kavadi. On the day of the ceremony, thousands of devotees and spectators gather in the city of Quatre Bornes to commemorate the defeat of the demonic forces by Murugan, god of war. The ritual ordeals of the adherents symbolize the mythical victory through body (cheeks, tounges, skin) piercings with skewers and needles. Most men also carry kavadis on their shoulders, which are heavy (<30 kg) decorated structures, while others drag big chariots instead, attached to their hips and backs with hooks. The celebration culminates with a procession under the burning tropical mid-summer sun, with attendees walking to the temple barefoot on hot asphalt roads. Our data show that men with lower socio-economic status (SES) have more piercings, bigger kavadis, and spend more time preparing them, compared to men with higher SES. Furthermore, regular temple attendance predicts participation only for men with higher SES. In light of the costly signaling theory, we see these behaviors as costly signals of religious devotion with different predictions for the costs involved relative to SES. Whereas high SES participants invest in status maintenance (paying relative lower costs) and low SES participants invest in status achievement (paying relative higher costs). Thus, religious ritual participation may function as a strategy for status management with implications for inclusive fitness of participants.
ER  -

MAŇO, Peter, Xygalatas DIMITRIS, Shaver JOHN H. and Bahna VLADIMÍR. The impact of socio-economic status on the nature of religious ritual participation. In \textit{Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual convention, Atlanta 2018}. 2018.

Detailed Information on Publication Record