Capitalistic society and rituals?
I have just come out of a lecture all about ritualism and drug useage (including alcohol)
The authors of the reading we had to do before the lecture were banging on about how in the way distant past and the more receint past rituals and drug use went hand in hand. Anthrapologisticly (check that word out!) this is all correct, and reading about cultures and the rituals involved within that society and any drug useage they had is really interesting, but saying that we dont have rituals associated with drug use now is, I think incorrect.
We are now a consumer capitalist society. Watching make over shows and wanting things, not needing them. And the 'moral panic' now, or one of them is binge drinking. People going out with the sole purpose of getting drunk on a friday or saturday night, all their alcohol units in one go. C.C.T.V. shows us groups of young people fighting each other because of the amount of alcohol and/or drugs they have taken.
How is this different from the past?.....not the way long ago past, but the recent past. On friday nights after work dont enormous amounts of men and women go to the pub thinking 'T.F.I.F.?
And havent they always done?
And thats a ritual. Passing round a joint (i'm told!) to friends is a ritual. Sitting together while rolling it and then smoking it...its a ritual (mum i was told all this!) Making a cuppa when someone comes round your house...its a ritual. Or opening a bottle of wine if thats what you'd rather do...its a ritual. Meeting up with your friends before you go out to all get ready together...its a ritual
And while I'm going on, the legalising drugs issue.....I know that cannabis (is it class C or D at the moment....who knows?) has had huge debate about legalisation, and people keep changing their minds about it.
This is what I think, mostly people who smoke dope are too health conscious to touch any other naughty substances stronger than cholesterol, and wouldnt dream of overthrowing the state. Their too relaxed for one thing. Give a football crowd dope instead of lager, and when the other side score a goal, you would hear nothing worse than the gentle hum of laughter.
I realise that legalising it some believe is the thin edge of the wedge.
But if heroin makes you rob chemists at gun point. Cocaine gives you one nostril and an overdraft. Alcohol makes you violent and stupid. Dope only makes you giggle, want sex and eat chocolate.....where's the harm?
lybxx
The authors of the reading we had to do before the lecture were banging on about how in the way distant past and the more receint past rituals and drug use went hand in hand. Anthrapologisticly (check that word out!) this is all correct, and reading about cultures and the rituals involved within that society and any drug useage they had is really interesting, but saying that we dont have rituals associated with drug use now is, I think incorrect.
We are now a consumer capitalist society. Watching make over shows and wanting things, not needing them. And the 'moral panic' now, or one of them is binge drinking. People going out with the sole purpose of getting drunk on a friday or saturday night, all their alcohol units in one go. C.C.T.V. shows us groups of young people fighting each other because of the amount of alcohol and/or drugs they have taken.
How is this different from the past?.....not the way long ago past, but the recent past. On friday nights after work dont enormous amounts of men and women go to the pub thinking 'T.F.I.F.?
And havent they always done?
And thats a ritual. Passing round a joint (i'm told!) to friends is a ritual. Sitting together while rolling it and then smoking it...its a ritual (mum i was told all this!) Making a cuppa when someone comes round your house...its a ritual. Or opening a bottle of wine if thats what you'd rather do...its a ritual. Meeting up with your friends before you go out to all get ready together...its a ritual
And while I'm going on, the legalising drugs issue.....I know that cannabis (is it class C or D at the moment....who knows?) has had huge debate about legalisation, and people keep changing their minds about it.
This is what I think, mostly people who smoke dope are too health conscious to touch any other naughty substances stronger than cholesterol, and wouldnt dream of overthrowing the state. Their too relaxed for one thing. Give a football crowd dope instead of lager, and when the other side score a goal, you would hear nothing worse than the gentle hum of laughter.
I realise that legalising it some believe is the thin edge of the wedge.
But if heroin makes you rob chemists at gun point. Cocaine gives you one nostril and an overdraft. Alcohol makes you violent and stupid. Dope only makes you giggle, want sex and eat chocolate.....where's the harm?
lybxx
posted by lyb | 2:16 AM
3 Comments:
i've already given my vote to rogerooo. but you can have one too :)
1) yes a capital R ....and that stuff is really interesting, reading about the religious and cultural rituals.
2) they were suggesting that there is much less of a ritual based society now. As we are not community based anymore.....except in the 1950's!....we are more small groups of people meeting up occationally for a purpose, and once that was done we went back to individualism again. the community spirit was no more!
3) yes they were!!!..and whats the point of that then?...thats what I really didnt get. Obviously its different now!
4)no. I do mean ritual. I think! Everyone has rituals on a day to day basis, but there are larger ones within life that people observe, habit to me at least, is something else.
5) when you dont think about it anymore...when it is so part of your unconcious that it is just part of you. You can change habits. rituals are inbuilt.
6) what exactly are you asking about the joint question? lol
Cx
They are absolutly as dangerous as alcohol whilst driving etc....
I dont think I explained at all well that I am not saying that people should take drugs.....dope or anything else.
I would no more drug and drive as I would drink and drive....in fact I dont actually 'dope' anything...and despite blogs that say otherwise, mine or other peoples, I really dont drink that much either!
...not very exciting am I?!
but just think how much I would shout and wave my arms while laughing hysterically if i did? ...that, that would be scarey....
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