ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 explores the phenomenon of ritual resurgence in contemporary society, arguing that we now live in “ritualizing societies” that constantly produce ritual practices to give meaning to individual and collective experiences. The chapter challenges the conventional wisdom that rituals disappeared in post-war Fordist societies, instead demonstrating their evolution and multiplication in both formal and informal contexts. The authors examine how social transformations since the 1970s – creating “liquid”, “flexibilised” and “risk-based” societies – have generated new needs for certainty and belonging that rituals help address. The chapter traces the academic revival of interest in ritual studies, moving beyond religious contexts to include secular rituals like soccer matches, workplace celebrations and commemorative practices such as the AIDS Memorial Quilt. These diverse ritual forms share a common capacity to create meaning and foster inclusion through personalised participation and emotional sharing. The chapter establishes that contemporary rituals serve as responses to current human desires for belonging and community, functioning as methodological tools for understanding societal evolution, needs, fears and desires in urban contexts.
