Power is distributed unequally in society, and one of the main avenues by which this distribution comes about and is maintained is through ritual. History tells us that power is nothing until it is ritualized, for it is only through ritual means that power can be concentrated, maintained, and transmitted. At the same time, the converse is also true. For those contesting the way power is distributed in society, ritual provides a necessary weapon for mobilizing support and undermining the legitimacy of those in charge. This course looks at the relationship between ritual, politics and power from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and in a number of different socio-cultural contexts. Beginning with the ethological and psychological study of ritual, we will consider some of the ways in which anthropologists and sociologists in particular have examined ritual's role in society, as well as the elementary forms of political ritual, such as rites of passage, sacrifice, and kingship. We will investigate the extent to which rituals are similar in `traditional' and `modern' contexts. We will also examine the role ritual plays in political resistance and the question of whether and in what circumstances rituals are subversive or constitutive of the dominant structures of authority. Format: tutorial. Requirements: students will write a 5-page paper every other week and will be given the opportunity to rewrite one or more of these papers. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). Preference given to Anthropology and Sociology majors and students who have taken another Anthropology or Sociology course.