The Role of Rituals in Culture Creation
Online/offline rituals are the threads that anchor culture.
Relevant reads:
What Niche Magazines Can Teach Us About Taste by Ana Andjelic
‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ knew the cure for loneliness by Eliza Relman
13 Observations on Ritual by Ted Gioia
Rituals are important to human life — even when they seem meaningless from All Things Considered podcast
Some notes from me:
The bonding force of any community is its rituals. A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects as prescribed by the traditions of a community (Wikipedia).
Rituals are significant because they are culture defining. Through ritual acts we live out our belief systems. Acts in which we partake over the course of everyday living.
Consider subcultures. Subcultures as tribal groupings that speak to the rising ideologies of their time. Also as each generation comes of age. Subcultures are defined by their rituals.
By definition, rituals are tied to their physical experience. In-person moments help to bind community. In an increasingly digital society, physical moments of connection happen more sparingly.
More time in digital spaces has also diluted the relevance of subcultures. Online trends change quickly when they lack the anchoring power of real-life. For what it’s worth, COVID adaptations gave glimmers of hope for the balancing of rituals in the online-offline nexus. There’s nothing to stick to so trends get lost in the churn.
Today, culture is built through a mix of online and offline rituals and experiences. Tied back to brand strategy for me - ritual is a cornerstone of world building.
