Maintenance, Perpetuation, & Ideology

Ritual plays an important role in defining Equalitiva as a region with a unique culture, differentiating them from their neighbors who do not belong to the community. All of the rituals in use within Equalitarian society serve to maintain the structure of the region’s culture, and each plays a specific role in supporting that structure.

            The Harvest Ritual and the offering of agricultural sacrifices to the five founders and the Higher Power maintain the economic structure above all else, but the ritual also works as a way to maintain the community structure, as well as the religious structure. This is truly a multi-purpose ritual.

The ritual must be performed each year in order to secure abundance and prosperity in the coming year’s crops, and failing to produce quality crops worthy of sacrifice to the Higher Power is seen as a failing on the people’s part, necessitating sanctions from above. Because of this mindset, the people are driven to work diligently and pay special attention to their crops throughout the year, keeping the economy in full swing because of the motivated labor force and productive yield.

The ritual’s emphasis on the whole region coming together to sacrifice serves to maintain the community structure, because without every person participating and buying in to the ritual, the community’s importance could drop and push Equalitiva towards a more independent mindset. The emphasis on the Higher Power as the source of all blessings and the idea that a good harvest is a “gift” of thanks for the people’s work maintains the religious structure, because this idea keeps the region centered on religion as a means of economic productivity.

            The Council Change ritual maintains the idea of a uniquely Equalitarian government structure run by the people, where no person is granted power above any other except through the ritual, and outgoing delegates are ritually stripped of that power and returned to their former state as regular citizens through the Council Change. Without this ritual, it would be easier for independent-minded citizens to try to wield influence over others due to their former position of power, but because they are publicly stripped of office and returned to their communities as equals, the structure makes it difficult for anyone to try to lord their former position over their neighbors.

            The Star of the Valley ritual maintains the community structure, and is one of the biggest ritual events of the year in Equalitiva. Everyone comes together at the “heart” of the region to work towards the common goal of raising the star, and all contribute as best they can to the effort. This is a chance for the various communities to come together in a show of unity despite their geographic differences, and the close bonds formed through their effort force the people to develop relationships beyond their neighborhoods and valley communities – the ritual occurs yearly, which means regional bonds are renewed over and over again.

            Finally, the Meditation on the Five Values ritual serves to maintain Equalitarian religion and spiritual values by presenting the people with a regularly scheduled opportunity to gather together and reflect on their common beliefs. If these rites were not performed, there would be a much greater chance that some members of society would break away from the core values, but by making the show of commitment to their religious structure a public act, conformity becomes the norm and the people are united through their shared faith. This keeps the religious structure alive and well over time and discourages upstarts from trying to supplant the dominant faith with another form of spiritualism.

            Rituals also work as a form of perpetuation, allowing the culture as a whole to continue through expressions of shared values and traditions.  For example, the Fifth Year Blessing includes ritual activity that indoctrinates young people into the idea of what it means to be an Equalitarian, and perpetuates the shared values of the region by teaching them to the next generation. Another example of perpetuation would be the ritual activity performed at Regional Socials, which keep the area united and serves to perpetuate the idea of marriage and kinship within the region, so young people don’t go looking for mates outside of Equalitiva.

            Rituals also reflect the ideological norms and values shared by Equalitarians. The idea of communal effort is present in every major ritual throughout the region, reinforcing the Equalitarian value places on community above self.

The Star of the Valley ritual is a prime example of this value, as the entire ritual centers around a group effort to achieve a mutual goal. Without widespread communal participation, the ritual would die out. The people come together each year in agreement that communalism and commitment to the region as a whole is highly desirable for the good of the people themselves.

While all the rituals focus on the value of a strong work ethic to a degree, the Harvest ritual serves as a good example of this value expressed through ritual – agricultural abundance and prosperity are viewed as the norm, and in order to maintain that norm, everyone must contribute to the labor force, valuing hard work and dedication to the task as a shared and desired attribute.

Fieldwork #2

http://zucchinisquasherlive.blogspot.com/

Ritual Classification

Salvation Ritual: religious – The Meditation on the 5 Values ritual

The Meditation on the 5 Values is a salvation ritual, intended to help Equalitarians who may have strayed from the socially accepted religious path throughout the year to realign themselves with their community’s value norms, in effect “saving” the person from their own perceived failings throughout the year and allowing them to grow as a spiritual being.  

Though Equalitarian society normally denies the importance of the individual in comparison to the group as a whole, this ritual acknowledges that having even one member of their society out of sync spiritually can cause harm to the region’s stability, and focuses on changing each individual participant’s interior state to one of mental purity and engagement with the Higher Power’s commands.

Participants often report feeling a strong connection to the Higher Power during the meditation portion of the ritual. Many enter a brief trance-like state that allows them access to a mystic plane, after which the Higher Power reveals the steps necessary to move beyond their spiritual shortcomings and to move their individual destiny in a positive direction along the chosen path.

Technological Ritual: economic - The 5 Plates Harvest Ritual

Though it may not seem to be one at first glance, the 5 Plates Harvest Ritual is a technological ritual in that the people of Equalitiva unite to perform this ritual in part because of their belief that honoring the Higher Power and the Founders through food offerings will ensure continued agricultural success.

Their belief that they can perform certain ritual actions in order to win over the blessings of the Higher Power is an example of the use of ritual to seek protection (in this case from famine or economic decline) and to control nature (securing this blessing is said to induce the earth to produce for the agricultural industry.)

Ideological Ritual: community – The Star of the Valley Ritual

The Star of the Valley ritual is a clear example of an ideological ritual, bringing the people of Equalitiva together to perform a common task through ritual in order to reinforce the communal structure and to enhance group unity.

This is a rite of intensification because it brings the people together and reinforces the highly prized value of group cohesion. In addition, the communal undertaking of a difficult and sometimes dangerous task promotes the intense group bonding necessary for the survival of the Equalitarian way of life – ie. communalism.

The end result, the symbolic star or prosperity shining above the people as a result of their group effort, ceremonially reinforces the idea that the Equalitarian values produce positive payoff for everyone to enjoy, and the crowd experiences collective effervescence at the moment they first see the Star shining above them.

Therapy Ritual: government – The Council Change Ritual

While the Council Change ritual would seem to be more of an ideological ritual on first observation, a deeper examination of the intent behind the ceremony demonstrates that the Council Change also serves as a therapy ritual for the outgoing delegates, who take part in a symbolic transfer of responsibility to new delegates (privately handing over the book of knowledge and publicly lowering the flag) as a way to demonstrate to themselves and the public that they are no longer in a stressful position of heightened power, and are representing only themselves as undifferentiated citizens just like everyone else in their community from this point out.

In this light, the Council Change ritual serves as a way for outgoing delegates to control their mental health and restore themselves to a state of mental well-being free from the additional stress of Council duty.

Ritual Process

Ritual 1 – Economic Institution

Each fall, the agricultural portions of the region hold the Harvest rituals, which is a time to gather with the members of your community and give thanks for the region’s prosperity, while ritually sacrificing food to the Founders and the Higher Power in order to request continued abundance.
 

The most important part of this ceremony is a ritual sacrifice of specially consecrated food to the Higher Power, and the placement of 5 dinner plates loaded with the choicest cuts of meat and best produce the community has to offer. The delegate from each community consecrates the table by offering words of thanks to each of the Founders for their role in achieving regional independence and teaching the values necessary to bring the region together in prosperity. The delegate outlines each of the 5 spots with a 5-pointed star drawn in salt, and the Higher Power is honored by sprinkling purified mountain spring water in a circle around the table.

The ritual brings the communities together and reminds them that prosperity requires continued effort, and the display of the abundance of harvest demonstrates that the people continue to be blessed by following the guidance of the Founders and the Higher Power. This ritual reinforces their belief in the Equalitarian work ethic.

Ritual 2 – Government Institution

The Council Change ritual is held every two years to pass the guiding wisdom of the region along to newly elected delegates, and perhaps more importantly, to reintegrate outgoing delegates back into their roles as regular citizens.

Both outgoing and incoming delegates enter the Council chambers through separate doors in silence, in two single file lines. The regional anthem is played, and incoming delegates and outgoing delegates turn to face one another from their respective lines on opposite sides of the room. As the music fades out, the delegates join in the center of the room, and each outgoing delegate passes his/her community owned copy of the governing Handbook to the incoming delegate from his/her community. The outgoing and incoming delegates hold up their temporarily exposed wrists in salute to one another, signaling the end of the exchange, and then retreat back to their single file lines on opposite sides of the room.

The outgoing delegates then file outside the Council building and form a circle around the flagpole that displays the Equalitarian flag. Two delegates step forward and lower the flag, then fold it in the proper ceremonial fashion. The rest of the outgoing delegates file away from the flagpole. At this point, the incoming delegates file out of the building – two of them step forward to accept the flag, unfold it, and hoist it back up on the pole while the rest of the incoming delegates circle them and observe. This action completes the ritual.

The flagpole portion of the ritual is open to the public, and serves as a visual notice that the outgoing delegates have been relieved of the extra responsibilities of public service, while the incoming delegates accept this responsibility.

Ritual 3 – Communal Life & Kinship Institution

The Star of the Valley ritual can be witnessed at the regional socials, and is representative of Equalitiva’s rise to equal power with neighboring regions, and unites the different communities under the light of the Equalitarian star of the founders.

Twice a year, Equalitarians travel to the “heart of Equalitiva,” Founder’s Mountain, for regional socials. While the mass wedding held at each social is highly anticipated, the most important ritual is actually the raising of the Star of the Valley. Equalitiva possesses an enormous, lighted 5-pointed star that is ceremonially hoisted up to the top of a scaffold in front of the mountain. All able-bodied adults in the region consecrate themselves by making the sign of the star on their foreheads in mountain spring water, then gather together to do the hard work of raising the star. The Star of the Valley, once hoisted to the top of the scaffold, is lit up as dusk falls, and all participants gather in a half circle at the base of the mountain to sing the Equalitarian anthem in the light of the massive star.

This ritual is physically demanding, and requires the help of everyone in the region to coordinate. Because the people must work so intensively to safely raise the Star of the Valley, the ritual primarily serves as a way to unite the different communities towards a common goal, emphasizing their common bond as Equalitarians.

Ritual 4 – Religion & Folkways Institution

The Meditation on the 5 Values ritual is one of the simplest in the religious arsenal of the Equalitarians, but has incredibly deep meaning to the people of the region. The ritual is intended as a time of intensive soul-searching, and citizens who find discrepancies in their thoughts of behavior are able to come forward during the ritual to be reconsecrated into the Equalitarian body of spiritual life.

The ritual takes place in the late evening, on a night with clear, starry skies. The members of the community sit in a circle, wrists uncovered and facing upwards, where they meditate on the 5 values of Equalitarian life and analyze their behaviors in the previous year to determine whether they are in sync with the intentions of the Higher Power. This meditation lasts for approximately an hour, and the people sit in total silence during this time.

After the meditation period is over, anyone who feels that they are out of sync stands up and walks to the center of the circle – this is a ritualistic breaking of the circle that unites the community, and until each person in the center has consecrated themselves by anointing their forehead with mountain spring water in the shape of the Five-Pointed Star, the community is incomplete. Once the anointing is finished, the circle is reunited and the community is considered whole again, which they demonstrate by joining hands and singing the regional anthem.

The purpose of this ritual is to publicly reaffirm belonging to the community and belief in the values given to the people by the Higher Power.

Rite of Passage – The Fifth Year Blessing:

The Fifth Year Blessing is an important rite of passage celebrated throughout Equalitiva. Full participation in the homeschool network and certain religious ceremonies begins at age 5, when a child has one year of life accrued for each of the 5 values they will begin to study in earnest at this age.

Every 5 year old child in the region gathers at the base of Founder’s Mountain on a designated day each year, in order to spend a 5 day period being fully immersed in the values of Equalitarian life.

The pilgrimage from their home community to the mountain begins the separation phase of this crucial rite of passage, and the idea of separation is further driven home when their parents leave, so that the 5 year olds are united under the care of several elders from across the region.

The liminal phase begins as the children begin to bond with one another and the elders over the next four days, studying the symbols and ceremonies of Equalitarian religious/folk life and learning how the 5 values apply to their daily lives. In the liminal stage, the children have been stripped of their status as “infants,” but do not yet know the processes necessary to be incorporated fully into life as a junior citizen. They come together as future junior citizens and build a sense of group identity bonding them to one another.

Reintegration occurs on the evening of the 5^th day, when the children come together to perform a full ceremony honoring the Founders without assistance from the elders. Once the ceremony is complete (ending with the children holding hands in a circle and singing the regional anthem, as is customary), the children are designated “junior citizens” and are treated as such on their return to their home communities.

Fieldwork

The Banana Boat Beach Bum Crew

Symbol Theory

The Equalitivist flag as a condensation symbol:

The flag of Equalitiva is a condensation symbol. It represents a variety of ideas, actions, and elicits a range of emotions, depending on the person who is looking at the flag and on the context in which it is being viewed.

To outsiders, the flag primarily represents the physical region that comprises Equalitiva, and the government that has adopted the flag as its official symbol. It evokes a sense of respect for the sovereignty of the region, because the unquestioned existence of an official flag grants some semblance of legitimacy to political rule.

To both outsiders and citizens, the flag can serve as a reminder of the values promoted by the government, especially the concept of social and economic equality that is considered the backbone of regional values. 

The ten stars depicted within the flag denote the ten valley districts, and their inclusion in the larger symbol can serve as a reminder that though they are separate physical entities, they are united under the government – this conjures up powerful feelings of unity and group cohesion when the flag is displayed at regional socials. 

The five-pointed star as a unifier of disparate significada:

The five pointed star of Equalitiva unifies significada that would otherwise seem to be unconnected or only tenuously connected to one another, but actually have analogous qualities that enable them to be bracketed together into a larger meaning.

The star can represent independence, the blessing of the Heavens, and the idea of light in a place of darkness. It was seen in the form of a shooting star on the eve of the protest movement that allowed Equalitivist leaders to break free from an oppressive past and start a new society.

The star can represent the 5 founders, as it has five points and was the sign they painted on their wrists to indicate their role in the protest movement to one another and to followers. Depending on the color of the star, it can also represent one of the individual values cherished in Equalitivist society.

The star can represent the different valley districts that comprise Equalitiva as a whole, and displaying 10 stars together represents regional unity.

While the star can be used to represent each of these ideas individually, they are each related to the concept of citizenship. As a whole, the symbol of the star combines ALL of these meanings into one powerful symbolic reminder of what it means to be an Equalitivist. Above all else, the star represents Equalitivist life and all of the ideas and values that make up Equalitiva.

The wrist as an example of bipolarity:

The Equalitivist use of the wrist as a symbol can be viewed as an example of polarization of meaning. There are two distinct poles of meaning present in the wrist as a symbol – the sensory pole and the ideological pole. 

The sensory pole in this example casts the wrist as the center of bodily life force, as the wrist represents the spot where the pulse can be felt pounding under the skin. Cutting the wrist cuts off life (regional history refers back to a rash of suicides by oppressed miners living under pre-Equalitivist conditions), so the wrist must be protected, and there is a taboo against displaying your wrist to non-Equalitivists or allowing the wrist to go uncovered once you assume the responsibilities of marriage/adulthood.

Covering the wrist demonstrates a commitment to preserving your life force so you can continue to contribute to your community. Exposing the wrist to another Equalitivist in a ritual setting is a gesture of solidarity and shows belief in the notion of regional unity.

The ideological pole in this example casts the wrist as a representation of regional unity, ie. the idea that all citizens are part of the lifeblood that flows throughout the region, keeping Equalitist society and the economy alive. 

Basic Tenets of Equalitivist Society

                Equalitivists are a relatively small culture of approximately 25,000 people who live in the valleys of a major mountain range. The region, known as Equalitiva, experiences moderate, regular rainfall, and the seasons are varied with mild and rainy spring weather, humid and hot summers, cool fall weather with moderate rainfall, and cold winters with regular snow. The area is best known for three major industries – wind farming, agriculture, and tourism.

                The area was formerly part of a larger state and relied on mining and heavy industry as the foundations of their society, but following a successful protest movement, the Equalitivists broke away and established their autonomy as an independent region with their own unique economic system, political structure, kinship & community practices, and religion & folkways.

Economy

                The transition from a heavy industrial and mining society was difficult, but the move to develop the wind farming industry (the first pillar of the Equalitivist economic system) has bolstered the region’s economic growth. The Equalitivist wind farming industry is owned by the regional government, and land owners lease their property to the government in exchange for a set monthly stipend and free electricity. A small-scale training program run by the government channels former coal-mining citizens into turbine operations and maintenance, ensuring that the region is able to meet labor needs to keep the wind farming industry functional.

                The turbines generate more than enough energy to meet the region’s power needs, and the cost of operation is spread among the residents of the region through an energy tax based on estimated annual consumption. A small scale coal mining industry still exists to meet power needs at peak times, but is not the primary energy source. In addition, the government sells excess wind energy and coal to the neighboring regions that are not part of the Equalitivist community. Finally, a developing industry seeks to transition aging, unused steel mills into production centers capable of producing turbines.

                Agriculture is a second pillar of the Equalitivist economic system. Private land ownership is open to all citizens over the age of 25, and a progressive tax system is in place to discourage any one citizen from monopolizing agricultural resources.  Taxes collected support publicly funded free hospitals and other public-benefit programs. The agricultural economy model is based on small to medium scale farms and ranches, capable of supplying the region with a steady supply of food, but is not interested in exports.

                Tourism is the third pillar of the economy, and takes primary form as a number of bed-and-breakfasts run out of private homes. Tourism is a seasonal industry, and picks up pace in the spring through fall as outsiders travel to Equalitivist communities to experience a variety of outdoor pursuits, including farm activities and guided hikes through the mountains and valleys of the region. The government promotes the development of the tourism industry as a form of supplemental income beyond wind farming and agricultural pursuits.

               

Government

                The Equalitivist government was founded following a mass protest movement led by formerly disparate mining and industrial communities scattered throughout the region. The government is headed by the Council of Regional Development, made up of one male and one female elected member from each of the 10 distinct valley communities. Elections are held every 2 years, and both office and voting rights are open to everyone over the age of 25. Junior delegates are elected to present the youth opinion on matters that directly affect citizens under 25, with their votes counting as a half-vote in the council. A citizen may only hold a Council position for two consecutive terms, and cannot be elected to office again for another six years after their last term.

                One particularly unique feature of the Equalitivist government is the citizens’ option to dissolve the Council by a majority vote, and install new councilmembers in special elections at any point. This has never occurred in the region’s history, but serves as a check on the group’s power. Equalitivists strongly discourage the notion of an all-powerful ruling political elite. The government’s primary function is to ensure resources are distributed in a reasonably equitable fashion, and to promote the popular good.

Communal Life & Kinship

                Equalitivists highly value communal life, and engage in the practice of declaring fictive kin as well as maintaining close ties to blood relatives. Most households are made up of extended family groups, with multiple generations represented in each household. Neighbors in each district are commonly viewed as “cousins,” and are expected to pool their resources to provide for the good of the community. Individual pursuits of wealth and materialism are frowned on in the Equalitivist culture, and respect is afforded to those who work to provide for their families and neighbors above themselves. In addition, each community educates their own children in a series of “homeschool” alliances that allow experts from various fields of community life to take turns teaching their subject to the next generation.

               Social equality is important to community life. While some individual households do make more money than others, the strong social emphasis on equitable distribution means that little socioeconomic stratification exists publicly. Thanks to an emphasis on community well-being, the population has a thriving elderly community, high birth rates, and a healthy group of middle-adulthood citizens. Though there are slightly more females than males in the population, this has not made a dramatic difference in birthrates. Unmarried women are assigned special roles in the community, incorporating them into the fabric of the culture. Race existed as a social construct prior to the establishment of regional independence, but has dwindled in importance over time. A variety of skin colors are present in Equalitiva, but are not related to any form of social hierarchy.

               Because members of each of the 10 communities view themselves as relatives, most marriages are between individuals from different valley communities. Semi-annual regional socials bring together the communities at the foot of the largest mountain in the region, and this is a common time for young men and women to select a partner. Mass wedding ceremonies are held at the end of each social, and these events are highly celebrated across the region. The regional social is a time for community building, and culminates with the raising of a massive Star of the Valley against the backdrop of the mountain range at sunset, uniting the people of each valley district under the light of one star.

Religion & Folkways

                Religious life focuses on two important features – the celebration of communal life, and reverence for the founders of the Equalitivist culture. Communal life is reinforced through weekly participation in individual community socials, in which the people unite for a shared potluck meal and the singing of the community and regional anthems each Saturday afternoon. The previously discussed regional socials bring the 10 valley communities together twice a year to encourage positive relationships between the various communities.

                The five founders (the original leaders of the protest movement that established the independent region) are honored throughout the year with a series of holidays, each with its own special rites emphasizing a different aspect of the founder’s efforts. The founders are considered to have served as prophets leading the way towards a brighter future, and the citizens consider themselves to have originated as a chosen people who will serve as a positive example for outside societies. All religious ceremonies dedicated to the founders are held at night, underneath the stars.

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                                         Commonly Used Symbols in Equalitivist Culture


Currency:

This symbol appears on all currency in Equalitiva. The dark green circle represents a region united in economic prosperity, the blue and white pattern within the circle represents harmony and the "mandate of Heaven" that allows the region to prosper, while the green lines in the center represent the blades of a wind turbine as the economic life force of the region. 

The Flag:

The flag is the official symbol of the Equalitivist government. The red background reminds Equalitivists of the protest movement that allowed them to break away, while the use of blue and white in the rest of the flag represents the harmonious existence made possible through the struggles of the founders, as well as the belief that the movement was led by a higher power (in this case, blue and white represent the sky.) The 10 stars are the 10 valley districts that together comprise the rising power of Equalitiva. The oval/circle in the center represents the circularity of life in the region, with each of the 10 districts moving together in one direction as a whole, and the green lines in the center represent the blades of a wind turbine - shown in green because the turbine industry is the economic life force of the region and enabled Equalitiva to move beyond reliance on a stratified labor force run by outsiders.


The Wrist:


Equalitarians view the wrist as a sacred body part, where the pulse of life pounds beneath the skin. Exposure of the upturned wrist is used as a gesture of intimacy or goodwill, as stars painted on the wrists were how the founders identified themselves to followers in the early days before the region's independence was established. 

Because the wrist is of special importance, men and women place special ceremonial bracelets on their left wrist during the mass wedding ceremonies of the region, and are to wear the bracelets in all non-religious settings to demonstrate their loyalty to the region and their spouse. Because the wrist is an intimate spot, it would be inappropriate to depict an uncovered wrist in art or photographs, but bracelets like the one below are molded to fit the wearer and are believed to absorb the power of the wearer's life force over time:

[Elichai Fine Jewelry. http://www.elichai.com/jewelry-collections/limited-edition, accessed June 12, 2012.]






The Special Role of the Star as a Symbol in Equalitiva:

Stars are used in a variety of symbolic roles in Equalitarian life. The five founders saw a shooting star the evening they finalized their plan to declare their independence as a people, and the people of Equalitiva view stars as symbols of light, ascendance, and assign special value to the creation of five-pointed stars to represent the five founders and values of their culture. Stars are viewed as a blessing from the Heavens, lighting the darkness of the light. 

The Star of the Valley:

[House of Crystal. http://www.houseofcrystal.co.uk/trophies2.htm, accessed June 12, 2012.]

The Star of the Valley depicts a five-pointed star perched atop a mountain range. This is one of the most widely recognized symbols of Equalitiva, and is displayed in various forms at both district and regional socials, typically as statuary around which the people gather for singing of the regional anthem. The star rising above the mountain represents the region overcoming hardships to ascend to a place where its light can be seen by all. 




The Five Stars of the Founders:

The symbol of the Five Stars of the Founders is a group of 5 five-pointed stars, each outlined in red to identify the struggle of protest uniting the founders, with a different color in the center of each star to represent the individual values embodied by each of the founders. These values are seen as the moral basis for Equalitarian society. 


The symbol is displayed at all religious gatherings, and individual stars from the collective symbol are painted on the wrists of ritual participants at various times of the year (ie. a white star outlined in red is displayed on the forehead in one ceremony to remind Equalitivists of the mental purity of purpose required to participate appropriately in communal/religious life, while an orange star outlined in red is displayed in another ceremony to represent the energy and industry required to maintain a viable community.)