Socio-economic factors involved in participation in extreme rituals
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | Our data show that men with low socio-economic status (SES) engage in more extreme forms of ritual participation compared to men with high SES and women - they have more piercings and spend more time preparing the structures they carry. Kavadi size decreases with age and SES but is best predicted by wealth - wealthier men carry larger, yet not necessarily heavier, structures. Lastly, regular temple attendance predicts participation only for men with high SES. We see these behaviors as costly signals of religious commitment with different assumptions for the costs involved relative to SES. High-status participants are usually regular temple attendees and seem to invest only in status maintenance, which doesn't rely on more extreme forms of participation. Low-status (and younger) men instead invest in status achievement that sometimes requires extreme ritual displays. Religious ritual participation may thus function as an evolutionary strategy for status management in the local community. |
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