As_social_control Ritual

balinese rice terraces regulated through ritual.

the functionalist model viewed ritual homeostatic mechanism regulate , stabilize social institutions adjusting social interactions, maintaining group ethos, , restoring harmony after disputes.

although functionalist model superseded, later neofunctional theorists adopted approach examining ways ritual regulated larger ecological systems. roy rappaport, example, examined way gift exchanges of pigs between tribal groups in papua new guinea maintained environmental balance between humans, available food (with pigs sharing same foodstuffs humans) , resource base. rappaport concluded ritual, ...helps maintain undegraded environment, limits fighting frequencies not endanger existence of regional population, adjusts man-land ratios, facilitates trade, distributes local surpluses of pig throughout regional population in form of pork, , assures people of high quality protein when in need of . similarly, j. stephen lansing traced how intricate calendar of hindu balinese rituals served regulate vast irrigation systems of bali, ensuring optimum distribution of water on system while limiting disputes.