Ritual Studies

Rituals are indispensable for human beings, in past and present. The important moments in human life are always highlighted with rituals. In addition to ritual's traditional function of marking key moments in human life, people assign great value to rituals as instruments to achieve social cohesion, as means of coping with grief and bereavement, and as powerful tools to remember the past. Apart from such a predominantly positive use of rituals, it should be noted that ritual is also a contested phenomenon. Ritual is all about inclusion and exclusion and about power and display in the public domain. Moreover, ritual is dynamic and fluid; it is an excellent gauge of cultural diversity and societal developments. Therefore, the study of ritual is of vital importance for understanding society.

Instruction modes

case study, lecture, self study, literature study, seminar, research, tutorial, research project, group assignment, portfolio, individual assignment

Accreditation: NVAO

Erasmus Mundus program: This is an Erasmus Mundus program.