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Johan Cilliers, Cas Wepener
Ritual and the Generation of Social Capital in Contexts of Poverty: A South African Exploration
This article forms a part of a larger research project in the Paarl area of South Africa. This specific contribution comes from the field of liturgy. Ritual data were collected in several congregations by means of participatory action research. Some of the data gathered will be analyzed and interpreted here by means of ritual criticism. In this article, the theoretical foundation is briefly explained, as well as the specific way in which ritual criticism will be conducted. The concepts of social capital and poverty will first be explored, specifically with regard to the relation between the two concepts, as well as Ammerman's use of the concept of social capital in congregational studies. Following that, the so-called dimensions, processes, and qualities of ritual are presented. By making use of some of the data, the dimensions of ritual are discussed in the light of the concepts of poverty and social capital. The hypothesis with which this research works is that certain dimensions of rituals are “better” or “more adequate” with regard to the generation of social capital in contexts of poverty than other dimensions, and that, depending on the context, some dimensions may even be counter-productive in this regard. This hypothesis is then discussed in the light of the collected data by attempting to show how these rituals are functioning as generators of social capital.
International Journal of Practical Theology, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1430-6921
Volume: 11, 06/2007
Pages: 39 - 55