Maintenance-
A specific example of how ritual maintains the structure of
my culture is my ritual for fishing. The Banana Boat Beach Bum Crew fishes for
fish every single morning as a way to provide for their community. New members
are expected to partake in this ritual from day 1. Every day to BBBBs is pretty
much the same and that is really due to the rituals that have been made for
them. They wake up, put on their sunblock, go fish, eat, relax and repeat
process. It is kinda of like a shampoo bottle instructions. They do the same
thing every day because their needs are so simplistic and uncomplicated that
that is all they have to do in order to survive. It’s not about living hard and
working hard, it’s just about living to the BBBBs.
The coconut tree also maintains the structure of BBBB
society because it is a place for the BBBBs to relax and remember why they are
living the life they are living.
The quarter and sunblock both maintain the structure of the
society because they are both materialistic goods that BBBBs find necessary in
order for their survival on the beach. They are both small needs that alone don’t
amount to anything, but when they are used in the manner that the BBBBs use
them, then they mean a lot. A quarter can’t even buy you a loaf of bread, but
to a BBBB it is just a reminder that they don’t need much. Sunblock is just a preventative
measure against serious sunburns and skin cancer.
Perpetuation-
Perpetuation is a bit more difficult to pinpoint with the
BBBBs rituals because BBBBs don’t really celebrate birthdays or have Fish feast
of the day or any sort of celebration. Their day is sort of a celebration in
laziness and how you can just bum around and enjoy life. There is no monetary
means for them to throw parties or do anything extraordinary. As it was stated in
the maintenance section of this post, BBBBs just do the same thing day in and
day out. That is their ritual. However, the repetitive sameness of their lives
really allows for cultural continuity. BBBBs fall into a cycle and they just continue
to follow it because the cycle allows them to be on a permanent vacation year
round. I’m pretty sure if the BBBBs had a motto, it would be something like “Hakuna
Matata”
Ideology-
The fishing ritual reflects the cultural norms of the BBBBs
because it is something that is expected of every member. It is something that
is necessary for survival and most BBBBs don’t even look at fishing as work. It’s
just something fun and relaxing that provides food for their community.
The Quarter which is an example of an ideological ritual
reflects the values of the BBBBS because BBBBs don’t believe in having excess
of anything, especially money. As it has been stated in previous posts, BBBBs
really don’t feel the need to go overboard on material things. That is the main
reason that they are content being beach bums and just living their life on a
tent on a beach. The ritual involving the quarter reflects this value because
since the money is of such a small denomination, BBBBs will never have too
much! They will never be wasteful or forget why they are living in a tent on
the beach. It’s by their own personal choice. They don’t need much and the
quarter shows this.
Sunblock which is a revitalization ritual reflects the
cultural norm that because BBBBs really want to separate themselves from
society as much as they possibly can, they must embrace the use of sunblock in
order to try to prevent sickness within their community. The sunblock is
slathered on every morning before exiting the tent, and it is reapplied after
prolonged surfing or swimming on the beach. BBBBs don’t even really think about
this ritual that much, they just do it.
The coconut tree ritual is probably the most important
ritual that BBBBs share within their community. The coconut tree allows for
BBBBs to relax and to pass on stories
(or cautionary tales about the evil of materialism in society) to other
group members. Sitting on the coconut tree is always a peaceful experience.
BBBBs are reminded how great life is when you let go of materialistic goods.
BBBBs do not fight or talk back or shirk duties. Life is easy because they choose
for it to be that way. The coconut tree reflects the value that relaxation and
peace is important to them.
