Field Work

The purpose of this assignment is to explain the function of religious rituals using an example of a religious congregation or an artifact. You have the choice of visiting a place of worship, meditation or a museum (e.g. Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum or Oriental Institute Museum). If you choose to go to a religious community you must visit one that is different from your own affiliation. Here are some guidelines for the assignment:

• Before starting your fieldwork, use the library in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of religious rituals in general and the worship setting or artifact in particular. Document your preparation for the fieldwork. The references to your research and bibliography submitted with your fieldwork will be an important part of your grade.
• While visiting the place of worship or museum use your knowledge from the research to: reflect upon the field-experience, and analyze it. Imagine you explain how the place or artifact functions in the context of a religious ritual.
• You might also compare it to religious rituals familiar to you.
• Explicate the role of religious rituals in the context of your chosen place or artifact.
• If you visit a museum you need to present your entry ticket to your instructor.You may also choose other places as long as the religious context has previously been unfamiliar to you and you inform me about your planned visit before you undertake it.