The Ritual Process

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The Ritual Process quickly became a classic after its publication in 1969. Based on his field research among African tribes, Turner demonstrates that the analysis of ritual behavior and symbols can serve as a key to understanding social structures and processes. He builds upon Van Gennep's concept of the "liminal phase," expanding it to a more general level and using it to illuminate a wide range of social phenomena. Turner aims to liberate his own thoughts, and those of others, from a rigid dependence on "structure" as the sole sociological measure.