Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Families--Mexico; Rites and ceremonies--Mexico; Families; Rites and ceremonies; Mexico;
Abstract
The purposes of the present research are: {a) to discover the patterns of communication involved with rituals in the Mexican family, {b) to describe the function of ritual in the construction of reality, (c) to research the functions of ritual in the Mexican family, and (d) to determine the concept of family in the Mexican middle class. The data for this research were obtained using field research methods (interviews and observations), with 10 middle-class Mexican families from Chihuahua, Chihuahua. In this research, it was possible to observe two kinds of rituals: rituals by function and rituals by time. The first refers to rituals that have a purpose in the family, such as transmiting [sic] and developing roles or strengtheing [sic] family ties. The second kind of rituals are developed in special occasions, such as religious, social, or civic situations. In Mexico, the ritual has several functions: (a) it is a pattern of communication, (b) it is a constructor of reality, (c) it is a creator of symbols and traditions, (d) it is a reproducer of culture, and (e) it creates roles among the family members. In this study, I observed that ritual is a medium to preserve and create family traditions, because rituals are a form of interpersonal communication situated in specific places and performed at specific times. Moreover, rituals are used in different ways. Rituals by function will try to teach the role that each family member has to play in the society. In rituals by function, the interaction is among the members of the nuclear family; additionally in rituals by time, the interaction with the extended family is the goal. In religious and social rituals, also the family interacts with other people of the same social class. It was also possible to observe how ritual is used by the Mexican families to understand and interpret three different aspects of social reality. First, the concept of the self is defined in terms of relationships with others and the individuals' participation in the rituals. Second, rituals help to create the concepts of both the nuclear and extended family. Third, the concept of social class is developed through social and civic rituals. It was possible to observe how the rituals are used in different stages in the life course of the family. In the first and second stages rituals are important to develop a sense of moral support in the extended family. The next stage is to create a sense of participation in the control of the family. Lastly, in the fourth stage, the concept of family becomes a symbolic ideal which the nuclear family tries to achieve.
Year of Submission
1993
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Communication Studies
First Advisor
William A. Ausmus
Second Advisor
Melissa Beall
Third Advisor
Phyllis E. Carlin
Date Original
1993
Object Description
1 PDF file (178 leaves)
Copyright
©1993 Mario Andujo-Licón
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Andujo-Licón, Mario, "Ritual as Constructor of Reality in Mexican Families" (1993). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1969.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1969
Comments
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