Rituals are fundamental in human societies, they are prevalent within all cultures across the globe, this occurs because rituals are significant because groups use them as a means to create solidarity among that specific group. This particular essay will attempt to dissect and apply a sociological perspective to a ritual that is commonly observed within Australia: Anzac Day Dawn Service (April 25th). There are numerous events and norms that take place during this ritual that make it more prominent than most, it offers us many things to dissect and comment on. The Anzac dawn service is a prime example of ritual, because according to Randal Collins (1992:34) rituals force people to alter their demeanor “In the presence of the sacred.” It was
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Anzac day cannot be ignored and the celebrations that take place, and the time for reflecting has crept its way into almost all aspects of our society. Legislators use it as a means to appear relatable, the media grants hours of coverage to it and even within our education system children are expected to have a moment of silence and reflection. There are also many theories offered as to why we celebrate Anzac day, one of the most popular is that it reminds us of the stereotypical qualities we see in ourselves, the qualities of bravery and mate-ship. This is a ritual that is performed en masse all across the nation, thus leading to a sort of mass solidarity and patriotism being created. Anzac Day is symbolic because it serves as a representation for our national identity and achievement, many people view the battle at Gallipoli as the day Australia inserted itself into the national spotlight and truly became independent, before this date the sentiment of being ‘Australian’ was relatively weak and there was a very strong connection to the U.K (this remained strong until the Second World War) and patriotism to England and not Australia was rife. (ABC News,
Anzac day cannot be ignored and the celebrations that take place, and the time for reflecting has crept its way into almost all aspects of our society. Legislators use it as a means to appear relatable, the media grants hours of coverage to it and even within our education system children are expected to have a moment of silence and reflection. There are also many theories offered as to why we celebrate Anzac day, one of the most popular is that it reminds us of the stereotypical qualities we see in ourselves, the qualities of bravery and mate-ship. This is a ritual that is performed en masse all across the nation, thus leading to a sort of mass solidarity and patriotism being created. Anzac Day is symbolic because it serves as a representation for our national identity and achievement, many people view the battle at Gallipoli as the day Australia inserted itself into the national spotlight and truly became independent, before this date the sentiment of being ‘Australian’ was relatively weak and there was a very strong connection to the U.K (this remained strong until the Second World War) and patriotism to England and not Australia was rife. (ABC News,