Rituals of Communicative
Interaction
The enactment and performance of
culture
Carey’s Definition
Communication is a symbolic process whereby
reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and
transformed. (Carey, p. 8)
Your goal
Your goal
To examine and report on the symbolic
processes whereby reality is produced,
maintained, repaired, and transformed in
some specific case you care about.
Think of some examples!
Two models/metaphors
Two models/metaphors
• Communication as transmission
• Communication as ritual
Two models/metaphors
• Communication as transmission: under this
model, we see communication as exclusively
concerned with sending and receiving
messages across space.
• Communication as ritual
Two models/metaphors
• Communication as transmission: under this
model, we see communication as exclusively
concerned with sending and receiving messages
across space.
– The basic motive is to control meaning (and people).
– The basic problem is ambiguity and broken
connections
• Communication as ritual
Two models/metaphors
• Communication as transmission:
• Communication as ritual: under this model,
communication is directed not toward the
extension of messages in space but toward
the maintenance of society in time; not the
act of imparting information but the
representation of shared belief.
Two models/metaphors
• Communication as transmission:
• Communication as ritual: under this model,
communication is directed not toward the extension of
messages in space but toward the maintenance of
society in time; not the act of imparting information
but the representation of shared belief.
– The basic motive is to draw people together into common
relationship
– The basic problem is alienation, homogeneity, and
xenophobia.
Two models/metaphors
• Communication as transmission:
• Communication as ritual: under this model,
communication is directed not toward the extension of
messages in space but toward the maintenance of
society in time; not the act of imparting information
but the representation of shared belief.
– The basic motive is to draw people together into common
relationship
– The basic problem is alienation, homogeneity, and
xenophobia.
Rituals of culture
Rituals of culture
Note: See Carey pp. 9-10 for his explanation of
how communication helps to make (and not
just represent) the social world.
Rituals of culture
We first produce the world by symbolic work and then take up
residence in the world we have produced. Alas, there is magic in
our self deceptions. We not only produce reality but we must
likewise maintain what we have produced, for there are always new
generations coming along for whom our productions are incipiently
problematic and for whom reality must be regenerated and made
authoritative. Reality must be repaired for it consistently breaks
down: people get lost physically and spiritually, experiments fail,
evidence counter to the representation is produced, mental
derangement sets in—all threats to our models of and for reality
that lead to intense repair work. Finally, we must, often with fear
and regret, toss away our authoritative representations of reality
and begin to build the world anew [i.e. transform reality] (Carey, p.
13).
Rituals of culture
SO– ask, through what specific rituals do the
people in your site or project enact and
perform the identities, practices, and other
meaningful elements that make up that
unique culture?
Rituals of culture
Rituals of culture
How do you enact and perform your role as a
student? How do you signal the end of the
class? How do you demonstrate you are a
“good” student? How do you signal that you
need help or that you are uninterested?
Rituals of culture
How do you signal romantic interest or
unavailability?
Rituals of culture
How do you signal romantic interest or
unavailability?
How do you enact your workplace identity?
What conflicts at work seem to be driven by
the cultural rituals themselves?
Rituals of culture
How do you maintain cultural rituals in your
group? How do you welcome newcomers and
how do they learn the culture?
Rituals of culture
How do you maintain cultural rituals in your
group? How do you welcome newcomers and
how do they learn the culture?
How do you repair the culture when there are
violations (of rules, of trust, of effectiveness)?
Rituals of culture
How do you maintain cultural rituals in your
group? How do you welcome newcomers and
how do they learn the culture?
How do you repair the culture when there are
violations (of rules, of trust, of effectiveness)?
How do you transform the cultural scripts when
they no longer work or fit?
Rituals of culture
How do you signal romantic interest or
unavailability?
How do you enact your workplace identity?
What conflicts at work seem to be driven by
the cultural rituals themselves?