In this essay, you will EXPLAIN the role of rituals or routines in our life in general or in a specific culture or community in particular.

RHETORICAL SITUATION and EVIDENCE:

Before you formulate your thesis statement and start planning your essay, you need to consider the rhetorical situation:

• What is the purpose of your essay?
• Who is your intended audience?
• What do you want to communicate to your audience?
• What evidence are you going to use to support your thesis?

ORGANIZATION and DEVELOPMENT:

The organization of this essay is basically the same as the one you just completed!   You need to provide some background information in the introduction, perhaps mention one or two sources, and transition to your thesis.  Then, you need at least three body paragraphs, and, of course, a conclusion.

You can use ANY development methods that suit the purpose of your essay–exemplification, comparison/contras, cause-and-effect, process analysis, description, and narration.  Your goal is to explain the role of a rituals in general or one specific ritual in particular to your audience.

CITING and DOCUMENTING SOURCES:

In this essay,  you can, to a limited extent, use some personal examples, but most of the EVIDENCE you will use to support your points must come from professional sources.  You should cite –quote and paraphrase–from the following sources:

I. One or both of the two articles we have discussed:

• Sweet, Sour, and Resentful by Gourmet Magazine
• Why Rituals Are Good for Your Health by ARI HONARVAR

II.  In addition, you should refer to this article: 

• Why Rituals Work by Francesca Gino and Michael I. Norton:  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-rituals-work/ (Links to an external site.)

III.  And to ONE of these TED Talks:

• The Power of Rituals by Dimitris Xygalatas: https://anthropology.uconn.edu/2016/04/04/dimitris-xygalatass-tedx-talk-on-the-power-of-ritual/# (Links to an external site.)
• The Healing Power of Rituals and Routines by Mike Leach: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_leach_mike_leach_the_healing_power_of_rituals_and_routines (Links to an external site.)