Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course requirements
• Completion of reading assignments prior to class discussion
• Attend UTD Autumn productions: Alpha Male & Comedy of Errors
• Four, Three page response/analysis papers (topics to be assigned)
• One 20 page (minimum) research project on an approved subject
• One, 15 minute semester end research project presentation
• Class participation & Attendance
Required text
Ritual, Maldoma Patrice Somé
Rites of Passage, Arnold Van Gennep
Readings in Ritual Studies, Ronald Grimes
Additional Material on library reserve
Recommended Text
The ritual Process, Victor Turner
Ancient Whale: Sacred Whale, the Inuit Hunt and its rituals, Tom
Lowenstein
Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity, Roy A. Rappaport
Attendance Policy
Two (2) unexcused absences permitted; however each subsequent
unexcused absence will result in the Loss of 5% per absence. Two late
arrivals (30 minutes + after the hour unless lateness is pre-arranged)
will count as one absence. Note: No Gum Chewing or Eating in Class.
Soft Drinks, Coffee, and water permitted.
Grading
1000 pt grading scale
4@3 Page Analysis/Research Papers 6 % each 24%
Research Project Proposal 6%
Research Project 35%
Research Presentation/Outline 10%
Performance Attendance 5% Each 10%
Class Attendance & Participation 15%
Class Schedule
August 19 Introductions & expectations:
What is Ritual?
Read in Grimes
The Neurobiology of Myth and Ritual 132-146
The Development of Ritualization 201-211
The Obvious Aspects of Ritual 427-440
Read:
Van Gennep 1-64
Read:
Van Gennep 65-194
Read in Grimes
On ritual Knowledge 324-334
Liminality and Communitas 511-520
Symbols of Ndembu ritual 520-529
The Bare Facts of Ritual 473-483
First Paper Due
Read in Grimes:
Rite of Return 118- 132
Violence and the Sacred 239-257
Read in Grimes
The Effectiveness of Symbols 368-378
Ritual in the Hospital 146-159
Second Paper Due
Read in Grimes
Restoration of Behavior 441-458
Interaction Ritual 268--279
A Performative approach to ritual 495- 511
Read
Message from the Eagle Mother (on web)
Read in Grimes
Transformation: the magic of Ritual170-201
Read in Grimes
Political Witch-Hunt Rituals 48-62
Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight 217-230
Fourth Paper Due
Read in Grimes
Consumption Ritual of Thanksgiving Day 536-567
Final Project Proposal Due
Read
TBA handout
November 18 Summing Up
Research Presentations
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the
responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal,
state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university
regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline
for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes
place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also
imposed for such conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and
academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon
the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it
is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other
classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt
with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of
communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic
mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and
the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider
email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student
account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of
confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the
security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with
a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T.
Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail
forwarded to other accounts.
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities
educational opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers.
Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office
hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those
reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the
basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom
prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides)
for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may
be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral
presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled
students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in
accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide
special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.