Increasingly, cultural workers and artists from many disciplines are finding themselves involved in the creation of public and private rituals, ceremonies and celebrations. Focusing on ritual and celebration in Australian contexts, this thesis posits a new categorisation of the types of event that might be encountered, grouping and examining them according to their action upon participants with the aim of enabling a more practical methodology of design in contemporary societal conditions. Existing categories, which have defined these age-old activities in terms of anthropological observation or social intention, must now be regarded as obsolete because they take no account of rapid and widespread changes in degrees of adherence to traditional belief systems, in social orientation and in Western cultural practices. There is a need to reappraise why individuals and communities might continue to hold rituals and celebrations, and how these can be designed, managed and operated most effectively. The thesis identifies four major categories of ritual: Transformation, Reinforcement, Transcendence and Catharsis. It argues that, by recognising the differences between how each category operates for participants and also certain commonalities across categories, effectiveness of design is facilitated. In developing parameters for each category and giving examples of contemporary praxis, the writer stresses the importance of understanding traditional ceremonies so that elements of a rich repertoire of techniques developed over long periods can be planned into new rituals for contemporary application, despite the dissipation of shared, coherent belief systems in a highly secularised culture. This impels consideration of questions of cultural sensitivity, raises the need for close community involvement in design, and requires exploration of managing the challenges of multiple signification. Contemporary cultural contexts for ritual and celebratory events are marked by plurality, multi-vocalism and multicultural experience. Designers thus need to achieve, out of difference, an event that produces coherence, deep effects for each participant and a sense of shared experience. The thesis demonstrates means to this end through informed praxis, that is, by practitioners ensuring that theory and practice are working together in these complex contexts that involve the well being of individuals and communities. The categories have been identified through investigations into the literature of myth, ritual and celebration, helpful frameworks developed in cognitive science, and extensive research provided by thirty years of practice in the field. As a designer and director of rituals and celebrations, the writer seeks both to confirm the importance of the artist within the process and to demonstrate a new, practical, ethically located and effective approach for the education of intending practitioners. No claim is made that the four categories are definitive or mutually exclusive of one another. It is accepted that in many situations the categories might coalesce, be added to and/or fragment. However, the categorisation provides a fresh vantage point from which to view the potentially powerful effects of ritual experience, an effective tool of construction for the use of artists and cultural activists working in this field, and an informed basis for praxis. In developing this new categorisation the writer argues an ongoing need for rituals and celebrations to clarify and enrich the lives of individuals and the community while stressing the importance of careful and appropriate design of such events.

The purpose of this research was to discover what meaning adult candidates for Anglican confirmation gave to their confirmation, how they experienced the ritual and what place confirmation had in their continuing faith journey. The research report retells the stories of eight adults. The stories of four are presented as case studies. The baptism/ confirmation stories of all research participants are presented as metaphors, a form of 'systematic thematic analysis' (Plummer 1983). For the study I adopted a life history, case study approach (Jones 1983; Plummer 1983; Minichiello et al. 1995) drawing on the insights of ritual theory (Turner 1969, 1972, 1976) and the concept of transitional phenomena proposed by Winnicott (1965, 1971). Two sets of contextual factors formed the background to the study: the Church's tradition and its debates about confirmation and the attitudes of lay people about their faith and about the Church. The research method involved a grounded theory approach. The principal data creation techniques were in-depth interview and the Faith Autobiography pro forma. Following the initial interviews, each research participant was sent a summary of the research findings (Summary of themes). The Summary gave the metaphors which emerged from the interviews, together with brief notes on the concepts used to interpret the data. Responses from the research participants were incorporated into the final form of the metaphors: Belonging to myself, Returning/ Starting over, Growing up, Joining the family and Making a commitment. Most research participants did not regard baptism/confirmation as joining the Church: rather they saw themselves as belonging to the Church already; neither were they concerned with becoming Anglicans. For the majority, the transition they made in baptism/confirmation paralleled another life transition which was taking place or was expected to take place. Taking part in the research helped form the participants� ideas about baptism/confirmation. While the catechumenal process is able to provide a holding environment in which candidates for baptism/confirmation can explore the transitions in which they are involved, the initiation liturgy should reflect the �return� motif which emphasises incorporation as well as the traditional Exodus motif which emphasises separation.

<p>This study sets out to investigate the social significance and political use of three historical places, from the theoretical starting points of landscape, objects, society and rituals. The Teutoburger Forest in North Germany has had an international effect, being a german national icon during the reformation and through two world wars, Old Uppsala is a place of great importance for the creation and reproduction of Swedish national identity during several hundred years, and Eketorp ring fort on Öland in Sweden is of more regional importance. All these places have been used for social and political reasons through history. History can be used in a constructive or a destructive way. This study stresses the importance of a critical scientific tradition.</p>

The aim of this study is to generate new knowledge of the educationalpractice of a pre-school and of how it may contribute to the understandingof doing gender. The ethnographic study examines the place and practiceof a Steiner Waldorf pre-school, and it focuses specifically on materiality,age, spirituality and the intentions of the pre-school teachers. Fieldworkhas been conducted for a period of one and a half years in one pre-school.The methods used are mainly participant observation and interviews withthe pre-school teachers. The results highlight the importance of the materialand spatial dimensions of the pre-school for the constitution of children’sgender. The concepts of performativity and ritualization have beenused as the main analytical tools. The study draws on the scope of theseconcepts as understood by Judith Butler and Catherine Bell. On the basis of the analysis of the empirical material, a theoretical concept,situated decoding of gender, is suggested. It is argued that what atfirst glance can be interpreted as a ‘female universe’, turns out to be a placewhere gender is made non-relevant through an unintentional, yet powerfulongoing process of naturalization. The situated decoding of gender is madepossible because of certain features in this pre-school. Firstly, a repetitivestructure characterizing educational practice has been observed. This isbased on a principle of rhythm reciprocally related to the alternations betweencontinuity and change. Secondly, there is a clear spatial and materialdemarcation that the study argues makes the pre-school an enclosed space,in the sense of being a place of nurturing and protection, where the boundariesbetween home and pre-school are maintained. Thirdly, the performativeforce of the ritualized preschool practices further enhances the decodingof gender. The ritualization highlights and supports the spiritual dimensionin the pedagogy, which sidelines the doing of gender. Fourthly, theteachers contributed to the decoding of gender through the consistency oftheir everyday actions.

L'objectiu d'aquest treball és presentar i avaluar els entorns de la mort d'una població del neolític mitjà (tercer mil.lenni a.C) establerta, bàsicament, a l'altiplà del Solsonès entre les conques fluvials del Llobregat i del Segre. Es tracta de grups reduïts (possiblement d'unitats familiars) sedentaris i situats a les vores dels rierols amb una economia agrícola i ramadera de subsistència. D'ells en desconeixem els hàbitats i, en canvi, els que ens han deixat són nombrosos monuments funeraris, més d'un centenar, molts d'ells ja desapareguts i d'altres que, aïllats o formant necròpolis, resten avui més o menys ben conservats. Això permet de fer-ne un registre i una avaluació centrada en les análisis de les arquitectures, de la demografia funerària, del parament funerari i dels rituals de la mort. Respecte a les estructures funeràries hi troben dues tipologies: les caixes o cistes i les cambres. Les cambres esdevenen l'element més característic amb una arquitectura simple, de forma rectangular, generalment soterrada o en marge, amb lloses laterals, llosa de capçalera, llosa de coberta i amb accés frontal a través d'una llosa porta màbil. Amb la demografia funerària s'ha identificat enterraments primaris, individuals en algun cas i col.lectius. L'esperança de vida és d'uns 30-35 anys i les paleopatologies més freqüents són les maxil.lodentals. El parament funerari consta dels aixovars (ceràmica, eines i útils de pedra i os) i dels objectes d'ornament personal (collarets, arracades, passadors de cabell). Hi són molt presents les joies de cal.laïta i les d'origen marí (pectuncle i dentàlia) fet que ha permès establir unes vies de comerç o d'intercanvi amb zones costaneres allunyades com les terres del Baix Llobregat i del Tarragonès Els rituals de la mort es centren en l'orientació est-oest dels megàlits, les postures blegades dels esquelets i la posició central del darrer sebollit previ l'arraconament dels cranis dels anteriors que es disposen de vegades amb agençament de llosa coixí i un cercle de llosetes verticals. Un ritual funerari, més que no pas aixovar, és la presència de restes faunístiques (bou, cavall, cèrvol) acompanyant els morts, el simbolisme de les quals és, ara per ara, difícil de determinar. Finalment es considera el grup del Solsonià com fruit d'una evolució local sense ruptura en el pla cultural amb la immediatament anterior (neolític antic cardial i epicardial) sense descartar, però, que hi hagi elements intrussius determinants, d'altra banda comuns dintre del món funerari i en fàcies dintre del mateix context espacio-temporal del neolític del III mil.lenni aC a Catalunya. / El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar y evaluar la arqueología de la muerte de una población del neolítico medio (tercer milenio a.C) establecida, básicament, en tierras del Solsonès entre las cuencas fluviales del Llobregat y del Segre. Se trata de grupos reducidos (posiblemente unidades familiares) sedentarios y asentados a los bordes de los riachuelos con una economía agrícola y ganadera de subsistencia. De ellos desconocemos los hábitats y, en cambio, lo que nos han dejado son numerosos monumentos funerarios, más d'un centenar, muchos d'ellos ya desaparecidos y otros que, aislados o formando necrópolis, se encuentran hoy más o menos bien conservados. Esto permite elaborar un registro y una evaluación centrada en el análisis de las arquitecturas, de la demografía funeraria, del ajuar funerario y de los rituales de la muerte. Respecto a las estructuras funerarias hay dos tipologías: las cajas o cistes y las cámaras Los cámaras son el elemento más característico con una arquitectura simple, de forma rectangular, generalmente bajo tierra o en margen, con losas laterales, losa de cabecera, losa de cubierta y con acceso frontal a través de una losa puerta móvil Con la demografía funeraria se ha identificado enterramientos primarios, individuales en algún caso y colectivos. La esperanza de vida es de unos 30-35 años y las paleopatologías más frecuentes son las maxil.lodentales. Las ofrendas funerarias constan de ajuares (cerámica, herramientas y útiles de piedra y hueso) y de objetos de adorno personal (collares, pendientes, pasadores de cabello). Son muy abundantes las joyas de calaíta y las de origen marino (pecten y dentalia) lo que ha permitido establecer unas vías de comercio o de intercambio con zonas costeras alejadas como las tierras del Baix Llobregat y del Tarragonés Los rituales de la muerte se centran en la orientación est-oeste de los megalitos, las posturas flexionadas de los esqueletos y la posición central del último enterrado previo arrinconamiento de los cráneos de los anteriores que se disponen a veces con recursode losa almohada y rodeado de losetas verticales. Un ritual funerario es la presencia de restos faunísticos (buey, caballo, ciervo) acompañando los muertos, el simbolismo de los cuales es, hoy por hoy, difícil de determinar. Finalmente se considera el grupo del Solsonià como fruto de una evolución local sin ruptura en el plano cultural con la inmediatamente anterior (neolítico antiguo cardial y epicardial) sin descartar, no obstante, que haya elementos intrusivos determinantes, por otro lado comunes dentro del mundo funerario y en otros grupos dentro del mismo contexto espacio-temporal del neolítico del III mil.lenni aC en Catalunya. / The purpose of this paper is to introduce and evaluate the archaeology of death of a Medium Neolithic population (3rd millennium BC) primarily established at the high plateau of El Solsonès area, between the fluvial basins of the Llobregat and Segre rivers. We are dealing with reduced sedentary groups, possibly of family units, located by stream banks with an agricultural and farming economy of survival. Although we are unaware of their habitats, they left numerous funereal monuments, indeed, more than one hundred. Even though many of them have already disappeared, today we still encounter some graves either isolated or forming necropolises that are more or less well preserved. This allows elaborating a logging and an evaluation focused on the study of the architectures, funereal demography and trousseaus, and death rituals.With respect to the funereal structures we find two typologies: the boxes or cists and the chambers. The chambers are the most characteristic element with a simple architecture in the shape of a rectangular, generally buried or in margins, with lateral, headboard, and covering slabs, and with frontal access through a mobile door slab.The funereal demography is represented by primary burials, which in some cases are single but also collective. The life expectancy ranges from 30 to 35 years of age and the most frequent paleopathologies are maxillodental.The funereal ornaments consist of trousseaus (pottery, tools, and stone, and bone utensils) and objects of personal use (necklaces, earrings and hair pins). Jewels made out of callainite and materials of sea origin (pectuncle and dentalia) are frequent. This has permitted to establish ways of trade or exchange with distant coastal zones such as the Baix Llobregat and the Tarragonès.Death rituals focus on the East-West orientation of the megaliths, the bent posture of the skeletons and the central position of the preceding burial. Sometimes remaining skulls of previous burials are arranged using a pillow slab and surrounding them with vertical small slabs. Despite its symbolism is difficult to determine for the time being, a funereal ritual includes faunistic remains (ox, horse, deer) along with the dead bodies. Finally, the group of El Solsonià is considered the result of, first, a local evolution that did not break from its immediate culture, the Early and Cardial and Epicardial Neolithic, and, second, determining intrusive elements, which are common in the funereal world and in other groups in the same spatio-temporal context: the Neolithic of the 3rd millennium BC in Catalonia. / L'objectif de ce travail est de présenter et évaluer l'archéologie du décès d'une population du néolithique moyen (III millénaire avant JC) établie, principalement, dans les terres du Solsonès entre les bassins fluviaux du Llobregat et du Sègre. Il s'agit de groupes réduits (probablement unités familiales) sédentaires et affirmés aux bords des ruisseaux, avec une économie agricole et d'élevage de subsistance. Nous méconnaissons les habitats mais, par contre, ils nous ont laissé de nombreux monuments funéraires, plus d'une centaine, beaucoup sont déjà disparus et d'autres qui, isolés ou en formant nécropoles, sont aujourd'hui plus ou moins bien conservés. Ceci permet d'élaborer un registre et une évaluation centrée en l'analyse des architectures, de la démographie funéraire, des trousseaux funéraires et des cérémonials du décès. En ce qui concerne les structures funéraires il y a deux typologies : les cercueils et les chambres. Les chambres sont l'élément le plus caractéristique avec une architecture simple, de forme rectangulaire, généralement sous terre ou en lisières, pavés de dalles latérales, de tête, de couverture et avec un accès frontal au travers d'une dalle qui fait de porte mobile. Avec la démographie funéraire on a identifié des enterrements primaires individuels, dans certains cas, et des groupes. L'espérance de vie est de 30-35 années et les paléo pathologies les plus fréquentes sont les maxillaires - dentaires. Les offrandes funéraires sont composées de trousseaux (céramique, outillages et outils en pierre et os) et d'objets d'ornementation personnelle (colliers, boucles d'oreille, barrettes à cheveux). Aussi, sont très abondants les bijoux en calaite et celles d'origine marine (pétoncle et dentale) ce qui a permis d'établir des voies de commerce ou d'échange avec des zones côtières éloignées comme les terres du Baix Llobregat et du Tarragonès.Les cérémonials du décès des mégalithes sont surtout orientés direction est-ouest, les positions de flexion des squelettes et la position centrale du dernier enterré, préalable écartement des crânes des enterrements précédents et qui sont disposés parfois avec parure de dalle oreiller et entourés de carreaux ou de dalles verticaux. Un rituel funéraire est la présence de restes fauniques (boeuf, cheval, cerf) en accompagnant les morts, le symbolisme de ceci est actuellement difficile à déterminer. Finalement, le groupe du Solsonià est considéré comme fruit d'une évolution locale sans rupture sur le plan culturel avec celle immédiatement précédente (néolithique ancien cardial et epicardial) et sans exclure, cependant, qu'il y a des éléments d'intrusion déterminants, communs dans le monde funéraire et dans la stratification culturel espace temporaire du néolithique catalan du III millénaire avant JC.

Pràctiques de consum ritual al curs inferior de l'Ebre (segles VII-VI ane). Comensalitat, ideologia i canvi social.En aquest treball s'aprofundeix en l'estudi de les pràctiques relacionals que expliquen el funcionament social de les comunitats del primer ferro al curs inferior de l'Ebre (650-550 ane). Es parteix de la idea que en les societats de petita escala, els rituals de comensalitat constitueixen un dels escenaris on les estratègies ideològiques es materialitzen habitualment d'una manera més emfatitzada, ja que a través del banquet s'articulen aspectes socio-econòmics fonamentals com la gestió dels recursos alimentaris, la generació i l'emmagatzematge d'excedents, l'articulació dels sistemes d'intercanvi i el consum i/o exhibició dels béns de prestigi.Per tal d'avançar en aquesta línia d'investigació, s'efectua un estudi detallat dels repertoris (vasos ceràmics, elements metàl·lics, instrumental litúrgic) i es duu a terme un anàlisi aprofundit d'aquells contextos (domèstics i funeraris) que han proporcionat les evidències més clarament relacionades amb els usos rituals de la beguda i els aliments. / Ritual consumption practices in the lower Ebro bassin (s. VII-VI BC). Commensality, ideology and social change.The aim of this work is to study the relational practices that explain the social functioning of the lower Ebro basin communities during the first Iron Age (650-550 BC). Our starting point is that, in small-scale societies, commensality rituals are one of the contexts where the ideological strategies are usually materialized in a more emphasized form, because feasting articulates important socio-economic aspects such as managing food resources, the generation and storage of surpluses, the articulation of systems of exchange and the consumption and/or display of the prestige goods.In order to advance in this line of research, we made a detailed study of the material assemblages (ceramic vessels, metallic elements and liturgical instruments) and performed an in depth analysis of those contexts (consumption spaces, storage spaces and certain graves) which have provided evidences associated with the ritual uses of food and drink.

The research in this thesis attempts to understand what happens when children (3-6 years of age) interact with each other in the context of free play in two pre-school settings when adults are not involved. The aim of the study was to get a closer look at how children create relationships and how they protect and defend their interactional spaces. Data was gathered through ethnographically inspired methodology, using video observation to capture the everyday interactions of the children. Results were analyzed using a phenomenological approach to peer cultures. Previous research suggests that it is very important for children to maintain their interactions with peers and gaining access to play. We have studied how children shape and interrupt relationships, and what strategies they mainly use to exclude undesired participants from play activities. Our results indicate that it was a hard task for the children to gain access to playgroups in these two pre-school settings, and that the children often jointly constructed a number of strategies for excluding other children from their play. The results also showed a considerable difference between the pre-school settings, both regarding the conception of status, themes of play and the way the children chose to protect their interactional space. Our study has shown legible examples of how peer cultures are under influence of local circumstances at these two specific settings.

Det är viktigt att personalgrupper inom behandlings- och stödverksamheter präglas av positiva sociala interaktioner och lyckade ritualer för att uppfylla funktionalitet och effektivitet. Brist på positiva sociala interaktioner och lyckade ritualer riskerar att skapa en personalgrupp som präglas av oenighet och konflikter. Studien syftar således till att undersöka hur sociala interaktioner i en personalgrupp inom en stödverksamhet inverkar på det dagliga arbetet. Studien syftar även till att undersöka hur en positiv och funktionell personalgrupp skapas genom samspel mellan gruppmedlemmarna. Vidare diskuteras relationen mellan personalgruppens funktion och klienterna. Studien baseras på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod som omfattar fem intervjuer med personal inom en stödverksamhet. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna som används vid analys är Collins teori om sociala interaktioner och Bions gruppteori. Studiens resultat visar att personalen benämner olika faktorer som viktiga för en funktionell personalgrupp och att de även har delade meningar och känslor för personalgruppens funktion. Vidare visar studien att personalgruppen inom den studerade verksamheten inte arbetar enhetligt eller utifrån någon specifik teori eller metod. Detta kan således vara ett resultat av att gruppen präglas av misslyckade ritualer och mindre bra sociala interaktioner. / It is important that staff groups within treatment and support organizations are characterized with positive social interactions and successful rituals in order to be functional and effective. A lack of these ingredients can create a group with disagreement and conflicts. This study aims to explore how the interactions and rituals affect the daily work within the staff group in a support organization. A second purpose is to explore how a positive and functional staff group is made easier through interaction between the members of the group. The relationship between the function of the staff group and the clients is also discussed. The study has a qualitative research approach and includes five interviews with staff within a support organization. The theoretical basis for the analysis is Collin’s interactions theory and Bion’s group theory. The result shows that the staff name different factors as important for the function of a staff group. The study also shows that the staff group doesn’t work uniformly or by any particular theory or method. This may be the result of that the group is characterized by failed rituals and less good interactions.

In this essay, material and written sources are compared in an attempt to learn more about the Iron Age religion in Britain. Classical texts and archaeological evidence concerning the Iron Age religion in Britain are presented, after which a comparison is made of the two to try to find out whether the classical authors statements could have been true. The conclusion drawn is that much of the facts in the classical texts are substantiated by material remains, but some information cannot be proved. Furthermore, the archaeological evidence provides us with facts of the Iron Age religion which was not mentioned by the classical authors. / Denna uppsats berör religion under järnåldern i Storbritannien. Den består av en jämförelse mellan klassiska källor och arkeologiskt material. Målet är att får reda på huruvida påståenden av klassiska författare om religionen i Storbritannien under järnåldern kan ha stämt. Mycket av det de klassiska författarna skrev kan stödjas av arkeologiska bevis, men en del har inget stöd i det arkeologiska materialet. Dock ger oss materiella lämningar information om religionen under järnåldern i Storbritannien, som inte nämndes av de klassiska författarna.

This study sets out to investigate the social significance and political use of three historical places, from the theoretical starting points of landscape, objects, society and rituals. The Teutoburger Forest in North Germany has had an international effect, being a german national icon during the reformation and through two world wars, Old Uppsala is a place of great importance for the creation and reproduction of Swedish national identity during several hundred years, and Eketorp ring fort on Öland in Sweden is of more regional importance. All these places have been used for social and political reasons through history. History can be used in a constructive or a destructive way. This study stresses the importance of a critical scientific tradition.