Research Blog #7

Frame
To answer my research questions (what about rituals makes students more willing to endure torture than they usually would when it comes to hazing? and why do these rites of passage usually include heavy and unsafe drinking as a rite of passage for acceptance into an organization?) I developed my frame around the repetition of ritual. Ritual is defined as ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. They are meant to be strange and different or else they would not be considered a ritual. This idea of ritual as a rite of passage discussed in Through the Liminal: A comparative Analysis of Communities and Rites of Passage in Sport Hazing and Initiation has existed as far back as people can remember. This deep rooted respect for ritual in an organization is what allows hazing to become so brutal- new members are told this is what happens to everyone, and they in turn end up doing it to others. The cycle of ritual exists in not only the greek community but also sports teams and black lettered greek fraternities. In The Historical Significance of Sacrificial Ritual: Understanding Violence in the Modern Black Fraternity Pledge Process, Jones discusses how black lettered greek fraternities are known to be way more violent in the pledge process among brothers. The case I have from Burning Sands depicts some of these violent scenes accurately. Jones also explained that black communities have ben trying to figure out why their rituals are known to be so much more violent than other organizations. He says that their ancestors "regard the human body as a prison house of the soul that could be liberated from its bodily impediments with discipline. Rituals would advance him from being the level of mortal to that of a God." The pledging process, hierarchy of seniors, and initiation contribute to the psychological importance of conducting rituals to the individual and organization.