Methods and ways of rituals transformation in modern society

In this article the author reviews the main directions of rituals transformations in the modern society. To determine them wehave turned to the characteristics of this kind of behaviour in the traditional society. The starting point to understand the processes of theanalyzed phenomenon changing is discovering its main properties and functions in the traditional culture. Our hypothesis is that themodern processes of rituals transformation are connected with the changing of the main properties and functions of the traditional ritual.There are three directions of the ritual transformation in the modern society: 1) emergence of "new" rituals with "old" functionality; 2)emergence of rituals with additional functionality; 3) individualisation of rituals. 1. The emergence or rebirth of rituals with old functionalityis related to the necessity of socially significant forms reproduction by a ritual act. Emergence of the social acknowledgementrituals is an example of this kind of transformations. This kind of ritual is the modification of the rite of initiation. The social acknowledgementritual intends to develop and support the sense of the belonging to a group. The ritual has a regimented form and the keepingof this form is the guarantee of the subject's acknowledgement in a new social status. 2. The second tendency is connected with theemerging of consciously constructed rituals, e.g. political. The ideological function is the main function for them. They are performedfor a specific aim made by their creators. 3. The third tendency concerns the changing of the ritual behaviour on an individual level. Inthis case, the first of all changes is the form of ritual. It is beyond the regimented ritual by the traditions and customs, but it continues topreserve its symbolism and significant pragmatism. We have concluded that, firstly, the modern tendencies of ritual transformation,mainly, are connected with modifications of their properties. The mutations of their properties transform rituals into the behaviour thatsatisfies the modern way of living. Therefore, processes of ritual transformation are connected with their interrelation with social, politicaland cultural environments, which are, in turn, subjects to changing (migrations, grows, changing of authoritative relations, etc.). So,we affirm that rituals transformations are not only the consequences of social changes, but the indicators of them. Secondly, the outwardlyregimented ritual behaviour is the subject to changes and there is no contradiction to the nature of this phenomenon. The ritualtransformation occurs imperceptibly for its subjects, so changes in ritual itself are slightly visible and exist in the subjects' consciousnessesas constant, stereotypical, established behaviour patterns.

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