The Adaptive Value Of Religious Ritual Analysis

Richard Sosis is an anthropology research professor with interests in human behavioral ecology. In his article, The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual, Sosis questions the logic and purpose of the religious acts and rituals from around the world. Sosis looks deeper into the fundamental reasons for the rituals and how it affects the selected community as a whole and its benefits of overall survival. Sosis argues that the group cooperation that is found in these religious ceremonies creates trust and commitment within these groups, and this "membership" reveals who is worthy of this trust and commitment.
In the article, Sosis wonders why individuals participate in the maddening behaviors that come in practicing or partaking in religious practices and ceremonies. He describes his experiences in Israel seeing men and women covered completely head to toe …show more content…
These beliefs in the supernatural, spirits, gods, etc. help promote longevity in the group cooperation. This level of cooperation and costly behavior can be observed in militaries and fraternities as well. (Richard 2004) 166. However, again religion and secular rituals still produce a longer more stable commitment and belief because of the element of supernatural that cannot be thoroughly examined or refuted.
Sosis ' article brings forth the idea and reality of group cooperation and its benefits to survival and evolution. This group cooperation has the drawbacks of potential free riders and is solved through the mechanism of the costly signal theory. This costly signal theory is seen through religious and secular practices/rituals. The behaviors display the levels of commitment and trust within the group that are "too costly to be fake" and produce a great group cooperation. These behaviors distinguish who is trustworthy and suitable for cooperation through their costly