Revitalization In Anthropology

In her study Manning (2000) summarized the literature of ritual and identified seven categories of ritual “highlighted due to their prevalence or importance on college campuses” (Manning, 2000, p. 5). Her studies were based on observations at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, both liberal arts colleges similar to Wilkinson College in mission and organization. Manning’s (2000) study developed non-mutually exclusive categories of ritual that included (1) rituals of reification, (2) rituals of revitalization, (3) rituals of resistance, (4) rituals of incorporation, (5) rituals of investiture, (6) rituals of entering and leaving, and (7) rituals of healing (pp. 5-7).
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5). Rituals of resistance, such as fraternity and sorority hazing, are seldom institutionally sanctioned but are created by participants to reflect the “true meaning of college living” (p. 5). Rituals of incorporation, such as commencement, provide for a “ceremonial bridge” marking a recognizable change in status and the transition from one relationship with the college to another, such as “crossing from one role (student) to an second role (alumni)” (p. 5). Rituals of investiture, such as the inauguration of a new college president, are public ceremonies that “symbolize the strength of the institution as exemplified by the prominence of the ceremony…” (p.
8-9). The cyclical and seasonal nature of the work of a residential liberal arts college creates an orderly and predictable procession of rich