Assignment:
Question 1: What is a ritual? Why are rituals such an important component of religion?
Question 2: What rituals are performed at your school? How would you classify these rituals?
Question 3: Why are therapy and anti-therapy rituals so effective?
Question 4: Why do rites of passage commonly involve painful elements? How does this affect the experience of the individual undergoing the ritual?
Question 5: How do we define what is a drug and what is not? Why do we allow some drugs (e.g., alcohol, tobacco) but prohibit others (e.g., marijuana)?
Question 6: What are the adaptive and maladaptive uses of drugs? What are the differences between secular and religious drug use?
Readings:
The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, And Witchcraft
By Rebecca L. Stein and Philip L. Stein