Rituals
Marriage and Family
Interaction
HPERF258
What Are Family Rituals?

Family rituals are built around common
symbols and symbolic actions. They are
familiar to family members and this
familiarity provides an emotional
anchor. They provide a sense of safety
and acceptance to members -- (ImberBlack & Roberts)
What do rituals look like?
Rituals are composed by metaphors,
symbols and actions that are
“packaged” in a highly condensed
dramatic form to establish and maintain
family identity
 Rituals are time-bounded and spacebounded, and provide a sense of
psychological safety and membership in
a group for participants.

Recognizing rituals and ritual like
activities
Big R
 Little r
 Ritualized behavior

Similarities between rituals
and routines

The may have a similar appearance
Involve more than one family member,
 Involve overt behavior,
 Repetition of form and content,
 There is continuity and change in both.

Differences between ritual and
routines
Differ in amount of emotion involved
 Differ in amount of symbolism
 Behavior in rituals is relatively

unique, unusual and extraordinary

Rituals involve unique staging:
preparation, enactment, and return to
normal
In your small group

Talk about family rituals and routines.

What are some of the rituals in your
family?
“big R”
 Little ”r”

How do you know the difference?
 Are there any rituals that have become
routinized?
 How have you maintained genuine rituals
in your family?

Sequence/staging of rituals
Preparation
 Enactment
 Return to normal

Typology of Rituals (Imber-Black,
Roberts & Whiting, 1989)

Underritualized


family neither celebrates or marks family
changes nor join much in larger societal
rituals
Rigidly ritualized

very prescribed behaviors, rituals tend to
stay the same over time rather than
evolving
Typology of Rituals (2)

Skewed ritualization


one side or aspect of family is emphasized
over others
Hollow ritual as event, not process

Rituals observed out of obligation, with
little real meaning
Typology of Rituals (3)

Ritual process interrupted or unable to
be openly experienced


At time of sudden change or traumatic
events, the family is unable to fully
experience the whole ritual process.
Flexibility to adapt rituals

The ability to change rituals to better meet
the needs/desires of family members.
Ritual Themes
(Imber-Black & Roberts)

Individual rituals can fit one, some, or
all of these themes

Membership

Ability to participate in ritual indicates that
one is a member of the group

E.g., Being able to participate in family photo
after you are married to your partner, but not
before
Ritual Themes (2)

Identity

Your role in the ritual indicates your
identity or a change in identity in the
family

E.g., wedding ceremony
Ritual Themes (3)

Belief Expression and Negotiation

Ritual may involve symbolic expression of
beliefs


E.g., At Thanksgiving, going around table and
allowing everyone to go around and express
thanks for being a member of the family;
children’s prayers at bedtime
Family is safe place to express and
negotiate differences in beliefs
Ritual Themes (4)

Celebration

Family members come together to
celebrate some aspect of the life of one or
more members or of the family in general

E.g., Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding
anniversary; birthdays
Ritual Themes (5)

Healing
Intended to produce personal and
relational healing
 Remembering and honoring the dead
 Communal coming together to provide
support and care for each other

Designing a ritual (1)
What are the purpose and goals of the
ritual?
 What are the basic elements of the
ritual?


E.g., Openness to change, how often it
should be repeated, who is involved
Designing a ritual (2)
What is the content?
 Behaviors—who does what?
 Symbolism—what does it mean?
 Emotions—what is the emotional
impact? How do family members feel
about it?


In order to be effective, rituals must
be affective
Small group discussion

Design a family ritual using the
information above and the information
from reading #51
In your small group (cont.)

Discuss the ritual themes. Can you
identify any other themes of your own
family’s routines? If you are a member
of more than one family, how are rituals
different in each?
Final Thoughts on Lecture Material
Describe how has your family has used
ritual.
 Remember to turn this in to your
discussion leader.
