Publication details
The evolution of stratification in Fijian ritual participation
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Religion, Brain and Behavior |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Philosophy and religion |
| Keywords | Fiji; intracultural variation; religion; ritual; social hierarchies |
| Description | Social scientists have long sought to explain the complex relationships between religion and social inequality. Building from a recent theoretical model, I predict that social hierarchies influence the cultural evolution of ritual systems and explain substantial intracultural variation in ritual behavior. The present work investigates these predictions using historical data and an analysis of observational and ethnographic interview data collected in a contemporary Fijian village. Historical data indicate that status differences between Fijians and missionaries and those between chiefs and commoners influenced the nature of Fijian religion and the socioecological environment in which contemporary ritual behavior takes place. Contemporary Fijian ritual life includes participation in Christian church services, and also kava-drinking ceremonies that evolved from the indigenous religion. Observational data reveal that performance within each ritual format is significantly influenced by the age and ascribed status differences of participants, and that high-ranking men are more likely to attend church services while low-ranking men are more likely to attend kava ceremonies. Moreover, a man’s ascribed status significantly predicts his achieved role in the church, with higher-ranking men more likely to be lay preachers, and lowranking men more likely to be members of the choir. These findings point to the importance of developing multilevel approaches to the study of religion and suggest that social inequality exerts an important influence on the cultural evolution of ritual systems. |
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