Rituals have been a part of our reality for a long time. As an individual subject of research they have been functioning since the second half of the nineteenth century. Contemporary studies concern the problem of changes connected with rituals, their importance, form and presence in the world today. The presented research is a part of this trend pointing to the need to create ritual experiences for people at junior high school age, as the elements controlling the overwhelming chaos which resulted from internal processes (creating identity) and the processes connected with the change of the environment ( leaving primary school and entering junior high school).
PL
Rytuały od dawna są częścią naszej rzeczywistości. Jako samodzielny przedmiot badań funkcjonują antropologii od drugiej połowy dziewiętnastego wieku. Współczesne opracowania dotyczą problemu przemian związanych z rytuałami, ich znaczeniem, formą oraz obecnością w dzisiejszym świecie. Przedstawione badanie wpisuje się w ten nurt wskazując konieczność stwarzania rytualnych doświadczeń osobom w wieku gimnazjalnym, jako elementów opanowujących wszechogarniający chaos wynikły zarówno z procesów wewnętrznych (budowanie tożsamości) jak i związanych ze zmianą środowiska funkcjonowania (zmiana szkoły podstawowej na gimnazjum).
Straw is a particular raw material that has been widely used in the past and in the past. The text enumerates its practical qualities and reported importance in former rituals, beliefs, healing or divination. Then the text deals with the symbolism of the straw, which is becoming more and more difficult to interpret.
The Polish version of the article was published in Roczniki Humanistyczne vol. 59, issue 2 (2011). The article discusses the origins of public penance for heresy in the early Christian tradition as well as examining its application in the penitential practice of the medieval Church. It demonstrates how public penance for mortal sins, which took shape in Late Antiquity, was later adopted and developed within the system of medieval Inquisition. In the medieval collections of canon law, heresy was qualified as a religious crime which required special public penance. Following the guidelines set up in the ancient Church, any heretic who declared his or her intention to renounce their wrongs was to be interrogated by a bishop, who would grant them absolution of sins and prescribed due penance. An important aspect of penance for heresy was public solemn penitence, which took place on Sundays and feast days and included a number of rituals. The penitent heretic had to appear in a special garment with his or her hair cut off and barefoot. The ritual of solemn public penitence for mortal sins was formed in Late Antiquity and as such was later incorporated into medieval pontificals. The rise of medieval Inquisition, which was used as an efficient weapon against popular heresy, stimulated the development of penitential discipline for heretics. Papal Inquisitors, who came to be appointed as extraordinary judges in heresy trials since the 1230s, were particularly inventive in the way how public penance might be employed to fight heretics. Medieval registers of heresy trials, carried out by papal inquisitors and bishops, are still the main source of information about penalties imposed on heretics who were sentenced for their errors. The public announcement of a sentence and penalty was the final act of the inquisitorial procedure. The penitential document (littera penitentialis), which was first read publicly and later handed over to the penitent heretic, listed various forms of penitence which he had to fulfil. In the inquisitorial strategy of penance, which started to be used in the first half of the thirteenth century, a solemn public penitence of heretics became commonplace. The inquisitorial registers and manuals for inquisitors described in detail the ritual of public penance and its functions. The penance imposed on heretics offered them a chance to repent publicly for their public crimes and to give satisfaction to society which had been disturbed by their deeds. That is why solemn public penance usually took place in a cathedral or central market square on feast days to be attended and witnessed by the local community. Through his special appearance and penitential garment with two penitential crosses, the heretic was highly visible and could not be anonymous. The whole society was responsible for supervising the penance of heretics and controlling their religious and moral conduct. Any act of religious transgression or misconduct was to be reported to the ecclesiastical authorities. Of course, public penitence was aimed at teaching a lesson to all the faithful and preventing them from falling into heresy.
The Zambezi River plays an extremely important role in the rituals of the Batonga people who inhabit areas of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The article traces how ceremonies changed after the construction of the Kariba Dam in 1959 when the entire people were displaced from their traditional settlements. This fact put the Batongas on two sides of the great river, which made mutual contacts difficult and led to economic and religious differences. The aim of this article is to show water rituals in the face of a changing reality that leads to their change and, more importantly, to a reduction in their practice.
The purpose of the conducted research was to analyze the processual dimension of the transformations of a disabled person’s life which take place under the influence of experiences related to practicing sport. Therefore, the article attempts to discuss the issues related to the influence of sport institutions responsible for the organization of sport practiced by physically disabled individuals in their care. In the article, I try to prove the similarity of the sport structure with the educational system structure where, apart from the strictly educational functions, there are also socialization processes taking place, diverse in terms of measures and results. The basis for the realization of the purpose mentioned above was the personal experiences of the researched individuals. Hence, the research exploits qualitative data collected during participant observations and in-depth free interviews conducted among the disabled practicing sports. Analysis and interpretation of the research material was performed in accordance with the procedures of grounded theory. The article has been prepared as a consequence of research carried out between 2012 and 2015 among the society of the disabled who practice professional sports. The studies are related to the characteristics of a sports career of the disabled, which, regarding its specificity, is deeply rooted in institutionalized initiation practices regarding inclusion, continuance and the maintenance of the main action, i.e., practicing sport.
This paper analysed the social relations of Polish children during the SARSCoV- 2 pandemic. The period of isolation and remote learning was approached as a transitional time using Victor Turner’s concept of liminality. The concept offered a new perspective on children’s experiences during the regime of health protection constraints and the resulting limitations. The research material was collected using focus group interviews with 41 urban children aged 7 and 9 to describe liminal features of their everyday life and characterise their social interactions. The findings reveal the risks and the potential of the pandemic period with respect to the social world and its construction by children. The most important observation concern is that educators and caregivers exploit children’s aversion to mediated interaction and assistance in reconstructing the world of actual interaction of children using creative rituals within the family and at school.
This article deals with a phenomenon that is often spoken about, reported in the media, but about which very little empirical evidence has emerged over the years. Only a handful of criminologists have addressed this phenomenon. This stems from the belief that supernatural phenomena cannot be researched using scientific methods. However, within the phenomenological paradigm, there is room for engaging informants who report their lived experiences. Scientific opinion, as far as social sciences are concerned, confines spirituality to Theology and Anthropology. The notion of the supernatural should otherwise be confined to private life. Against this background, the authors claim that it is rather a general tendency within the scientific community to either consider the spiritual world as a superstition and a phenomenon not to be engaged in. Spirituality should thus be relegated to private discourse. Therefore, the authors endeavour to shed the light on the topic by defining concepts, presenting typologies from the literature, as well as concerning crime and Satanism. The recruitment strategies, as well as the means of control over the followers, are presented, and then specific crimes, abuse, psychological disorders and spiritual possession are discussed. The goal of this paper is to stimulate researchers to tackle this secretive phenomenon and its criminological connections as the perpetration of crime have often been reported where there was the evidence of rituals. Spirituality is the part of life for billions of people in the world and is it worth to be investigated Perhaps it is rather a lack of interest or even fear that leads to the dearth of research in this area.
Cybercrime in Nigeria is largely perpetrated by young people and students in tertiary institutions, and are socially tagged yahoo yahoo or yahoo boys. Yahoo boys rely on their computer dexterity to victimise unsuspecting persons in cyberspace. A new phenomenon in cybercrime is mixing spiritual elements with internet surfing to boost cybercrime success rates. This paper examines the factors underlying this spiritual dimension (cyber spiritualism) to cybercrime, and discusses some of the strategies employed in perpetuating cyber crime. Using Space Transition Theory of cybercrime, data were generated on yahoo boys and those involved in yahoo plus. The clampdown on Internet fraudsters by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in-group conflict among yahoo boys over social recognition, reduced victimisation and delayed success, and mass media enlightenment were reported factors influencing the fusion of spiritual elements in cyber crime. The methods used include ase or mayehun (incontrovertible order), charmed or magical rings (oruka-ere) and incisions made around the wrist, which are used to surf the net, while ijapa (tortoise) is used to navigate profitable sites. Unsuspecting victims fall under the spell of the ase via phone conversation where spiritual orders are made to the victims without their objecting.
Abstract The purpose of this article will be to remind you how important rituals occupy in the process of education. The text consists of three parts. The first one analyzes the rituals phenomenon, presents its typology and functions. The second part is devoted to the process of upbringing and pointing out the elements in which we can talk about rituals. The third part is an indication of the areas of education in which rituals can play a special role. The end of the article is to indicate the principles of upbringing, which may condition the educational value of rites. Material and methods Source materials - compendium of Edmund Bojanowski. Document analysis. Results Showing the educational significance of the participation of children and youth in rites. Conclusions Indication of the rules of upbringing, which may condition the educational value of rites.
PL
Streszczenie Artykuł poświęcony jest obrzędowości, która w głównym nurcie życia często bywa pomijana. Można jednak zadać pytanie – czy mamy świadomość jaka wartość wychowawcza tkwi w obrzędowości. Na pewno miał tego pełną świadomość bł. Edmund Bojanowski, który w opracowanych przez siebie materiałach pozostawił nam wiele wskazówek jak z obrzędowości czynić środek wychowawczy. Celem artykułu będzie przypomnienie jak ważne miejsce w procesie wychowania zajmuje obrzędowość. Tekst składa się z trzech części. W pierwszej znajduje się analiza zjawiska obrzędowości, zaprezentowana jest jego typologia oraz funkcje. Druga poświęcona jest procesowi wychowania i wskazaniu elementów, w których możemy mówić o obrzędowości. Trzecią część stanowi wskazanie dziedzin wychowania, w których obrzędowość może odgrywać szczególną rolę. Zakończeniem artykułu jest wskazanie zasad wychowania, które mogą warunkować wychowawczą wartość obrzędów. Materiał i metody Materiały źródłowe - kompendium Edmunda Bojanowskiego. Analiza dokumentów. Wyniki Ukazanie wychowawczego znaczenia udziału dzieci i młodzieży w obrzędach. Wnioski Wskazanie zasad wychowania, które mogą warunkować wychowawczą wartość obrzędów.
Polityka pamięci jako operacja socjotechniczna polega na oddziaływaniu na pamięć zbiorową w taki sposób, by określone treści związane z historią i wizerunkiem zbiorowości zostały w niej ugruntowane, przedefiniowane lub usunięte. W ramach polityki tego rodzaju rozpowszechniana jest taka wiedza i schematy interpretacyjne, które zgodne są z wierzeniami lub/i zespołem idei odnoszących się do państwa, narodu i władzy państwowej. Polityka pamięci ma na celu integrację społeczności wokół naczelnych przyjętych w państwie wartości, a także wzmocnienie legitymacji władzy, a tym samym uzyskania jak największego poparcia społecznego dla istniejącego porządku politycznego. Wśród narzędzi polityki pamięci rozróżniono dźwiękowe, werbalne i wizualne. Za pośrednictwem dźwięku, słowa (pisanego, mówionego i naddanego muzyce) konstruowane są symbole, szeroko stosowane w politykach pamięci. Symbole, jak i mity są typowym tworzywem rytuałów, które w politykach pamięci odgrywają rolę kluczową celując w emocje zbiorowe. W ramach zabiegów socjotechnicznych przekształcają się w akty tożsamościowe i oznaczniki trwałości struktury społecznej. Rytuały służą integracji i mobilizacji zbiorowości w nich uczestniczącej jak również demonstracji władzy i ferowanego przez nią porządku społecznego i politycznego. Wśród wszystkich narzędzi polityki pamięci wyróżniono muzykę jako fenomen o wartości silnie emotywnej, nastrojotwórczej, o wysokim stopniu abstrakcyjności. Ta ostatnia cecha nadaje jej zdolność oznaczania (symbolizowania) dowolnie wybranych treści. Naturalne właściwości, bogactwo stylistyczno-gatunkowe i sposób oddziaływania muzyki połączony z wiedzą i doświadczeniem systemów sterujących czyni z niej wysoce efektywne narzędzie polityki pamięci.
EN
The politics of memory is a sociotechnical operation of altering collective memory through the redefinition or removal of issues relating to history and to the image of social components, existing within it, or through the consolidation of such issues as its new, vital parts. This type of politics involves the promotion of those sets of information and interpretations of facts which suit the vision of the state shared by the nation and the ruling elite. The goal of the politics of memory is the integration of the society around the values commonly considered supreme in a given country. The additional goal is the strengthening of the legitimization of power and a subsequent gain of as much acceptance of the existing political order as possible. The tools used in the politics of memory can be categorized into three groups: aural, verbal and visual tools. Sounds and words (written, spoken and sung) constitute symbols which are commonly used in the politics of memory. Symbols, as well as myths, serve as the basis for rituals which, in the politics of memory, serve as key tools aimed at shaping the collective emotions. As a result of sociotechnical operations, symbols become both signifiers of identification and markers of integrity of the social structure. Rituals integrate and mobilize the community, but also serve as means of demonstrating the ruling elite’s power and the enforced social and political order. Music has been emphasized as particularly influential on the general mood of different societies, as this particular tool of the politics of memory has a strong emotional impact on its recipients. In addition, music is highly abstract, which allows it to signify (symbolize) any given content. Th e natural qualities and influence of music, as well as the variety of its styles and genres, combined with the knowledge and experience of the ruling elite, makes it a highly effective tool of the politics of memory.
W niniejszym artykule ukazano istotę ręcznika obrzędowego, czyli jego zdobnictwo, rodzaje, zastosowanie, symbolikę, motywy tworzenia, a także miejsce, jakie zajmuje w życiu Białorusinów zamieszkujących region wschodniej Polski. Ręcznik towa-rzyszy Białorusinom od narodzin, przy zaręczynach, ślubie, na weselu, aż do śmierci. Na Podlasiu występują dwa rodzaje ręczników białoruskich: codzienny i obrzędowy. Pełnią one funkcje praktyczne, estetyczne, kultowe, symboliczne, oczyszczające, ochronne oraz magiczne. Treści zawarte w artykule uzyskano dzięki: analizie literatury bezpośrednio związanej z przedmiotem badań, analizie formalnej dokumentów i wytworów zastanych jednostki, obserwacji oraz wywiadom swobodnym. Poprzez zastosowanie tych technik badawczych odczytano symbolikę białoruskiego ręcznika obrzędowego oraz ustalono jego miejsce i sposób wykorzystania przez Białorusinów w określonych rytuałach i zwyczajach.
EN
This article shows the importance of a ritual towel, its ornamentation, types, application, symbolism, creation motifs and the place it occupies in the lives of Belarusians living in the region of eastern Poland. The towel accompanies Belarusians from birth, engagement, through marriage, wedding, to death. There are two types of Belorussian towels in the Podlasie Region: casual and ceremonial towels. They perform practical, aesthetic, religious, symbolic, cleansing, protective and mystical functions. The content of the article was obtained by an analysis of literature directly related to the subject of research, formal analysis of documents and products of research, observations and in-depth ethnographic interviews. By using these research techniques, the author interpreted the symbolism of the Belarusian ceremonial towel. The presented research also helped to determine its place and manner of use by Belarusians in specific rituals and customs.
The article addresses how Slovenians in Argentina ritualise memories of the socialist Yugoslavia. The Slovenian diaspora in Argentina was established by post-war refugees, who inextricably related the perception of Yugoslavia with memories of the Second World War, the communist revolution and, in particular, the post-war exile and extrajudicial mass executions. The article specifically analyses commemorations of the victims of communist violence as the central anti-Yugoslavian political ritual and argues that imageries of communism, Yugoslavia and the anticommunist struggle, all carefully ritualized in ceremonies and commemorations, not only reinforced the social memories of exile, but also catalysed the social organization of the diaspora, its political ideology, and the framework of its attitudes towards the homeland and the past.
The analysis of the pictorial content of the veintena section of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún’s Primeros Memoriales may lead to new conclusions about the artists and the process of creating these illustrations. Comparing the illustrations with the description of the festivals in the Primeros Memoriales and the Florentine Codex, identification of scenes and persons and their attributes depicted in the illustrations may also shed interesting light on the affiliation of the manuscript, whose provenance is still under discussion.
Celem artykułu jest ustalenie stanu znajomości i rozumienia zwyczajów, obrzędów oraz wierzeń związanych z narodzinami i wychowaniem dziecka oraz odpowiedź na pytanie, czy nadal są one upowszechniane i kultywowane we wsi Białobrzegi, w województwie lubelskim. Po wstępnych rozważaniach terminologicznych przywołujących definicje badanych problemów, przedstawiono zwyczaje, obrzędy i wierzenia związane z narodzinami dziecka, przygotowaniami do chrztu, obrzędy przyjęcia dziecka do rodziny oraz wspólnoty wyznaniowej. W przeprowadzonych badaniach (czerwiec-wrzesień 2013 r.) wykorzystano głównie metodę pogłębionych badań terenowych Bronisława Malinowskiego, metodę biograficzną, a także elementy metody porównawczej. Podstawę badań terenowych stanowiły wywiady wśród wszystkich mieszkańców wsi Białobrzegi, dobierając osoby powyżej 65 roku życia oraz obserwacja uczestnicząca.
EN
The aim of the article is to determine the state of knowledge and understanding customs, rituals and beliefs relating to birth and upbringing and to answer the question whether they are still observed and popularized in the village of Bialobrzegi in the province of Lublin. After giving first some consideration to the terminology of the subject, there were presented the customs, rituals and beliefs relating to birth and upbringing. There were presented in the following order: the birth of a child, preparation to its baptism, customs connected with accepting a child as a family member or a member of a religious community. In the conducted research (June - September 2013) the mainly applied method was the deepened study of an area by Bronisław Malinowski, the biographical method, as well as elements of the comparative method. The basis of the study of an area were interviews carried out among all the inhabitants of the village Bialobrzegi, choosing people over 65 years old, and observations made during the study.
Беднасць сялян да 60-х гадоў XIX стагоддзя, да часу вызвалення ад прыгону, спрычынiлася да таго, што дом быў трактаваны выключна ў практычным аспекце. Паляпшэнне побыту на пераломе XIX i XX стагоддзяў, а далей трагiзм бежанства, выразна садзейнiчалi працэсу ўзнiкнення культу радзiннага гнязда. На працягу гадоў змянiлася традыцыя пабудовы i аздобы дамоў: ад аскетычнага выгляду да па-майстэрску, карункова аздобленай хаты. Сумяшчалiся з тым таксама асабiстыя звычаi i абрады, звязаныя з домам i яго сярэдзiнай, якiя з часам занiклi або захавалiся ў форме парэшткаў. Заняпад традыцыйнай культуры, мiграцыя, выклiканыя эканамiчнай i грамадскай сiтуацыяй, нарэшце глабалiзацыйныя змены, адмоўна адбiлiся на сямейных традыцыях.
EN
Peasant poverty before 1860s, before enfranchisement resulted in defining home as an attribute in hand. The creation of family nest worship progressed at the turn of the 19th century, after the tragedy of the 1915 exodus (Byezhenstvo). Building and decorating techniques changed over the years – from ascetic structures to delicately embellished cottages. There were also many customs and rituals connected with a house. Some of them disappeared over time, and some got preserved. The decline of traditional culture, economic and social migration, globalization changes had negative influence on family tradition.
Both liturgy and popular piety are inseparably related with a variety of rituals, customs and beliefs. They constitute a specific manifestation of devotion and faith, often nurtured over many years. Apart from their religious character, they also make important part of national or community cultures. The gradual disappearance of customs and religious rituals evokes a necessity to research them and to preserve knowledge about them. Rev. Prof. Jerzy Kopeć CP is among the researchers who undertook studies in that domain, among his many scientific interests. His research tool was a questionnaire. He also consulted original texts related to particular types of customs and rituals. The original research methodology developed by Rev. Prof. Kopeć must also be looked at from the perspective of his being a supervisor of numerous research works of his students. The results of Rev. Prof. Kopeć’s research on customs and rituals can be inspirational to researchers wishing to continue the work he began.
PL
Tak liturgia, jak też pobożność ludowa związane są nierozłącznie z wielością obrzędów, zwyczajów i wierzeń. Są one specyficznym wyrazem religijności i wiary, pielęgnowanym często przez całe lata. Obok wymiaru religijnego stanowią one ważny przejaw kultury danego narodu czy konkretnej społeczności. Obserwowany zanik zwyczajów i obrzędów religijnych wymusza niejako konieczność ich zbadania i utrwalenia. Ks. prof. Jerzy Kopeć CP jest przykładem naukowca, dla którego ta właśnie problematyka stała się jednym z wielu tematów badań naukowych. Badania te wymagały specyficznej metody naukowej oraz źródeł. W tym przypadku praca polegała na przeprowadzeniu badań ankietowych jak też dotarciu do oryginalnych tekstów związanych z daną obrzędowością. Oryginalną metodę opracowaną przez ks. Profesora Kopcia widzieć trzeba także w kontekście jego pracy promotorskiej przy powstawaniu kolejnych rozpraw naukowych. Przedstawienie osoby księdza Profesora Kopcia, jak też problemu badań nad obrzędowością winno przyczynić się do podjęcia na nowo badań zapoczątkowanych przez niego.
Życie doczesne według muzułmanina jest przemijającym darem od Allaha. Rola bliskich w momencie konania, śmierci i pogrzebu muzułmanina ma ogromne znaczenie. W momencie konania umierającemu powtarza się wyznanie wiary i nakłania, by sam je powtarzał. Po ustaniu funkcji życiowych ciało zmarłego układa się na prawym boku twarzą zwróconą w kierunku Mekki oraz przystępuje do rytualnego oczyszczenia i przygotowania do pochówku. Jeżeli zmarły miał jakiś dług – należy go uregulować. Po obmyciu ciało zmarłego owija się w całun. Pogrzeb należy przeprowadzić w ciągu doby po zgonie. Po dokonanej ablucji następuje modlitwa zgodna z zaleceniami Koranu. Ciało zanosi się na cmentarz i składa się do grobowca w taki sposób, żeby twarz była zwrócona w kierunki Mekki. Nagrobki muzułmańskie są bardzo skromne, bez zbędnych dekoracji i kwiatów. Następnego dnia najbliżsi krewni zmarłego muszą rozdać jałmużnę i dopiero wtedy otrzymać od innych kondolencje.
EN
A Muslim’s earthly life is a fading gift from Allah. The role of the closes relatives while dying, during the death and a funeral – is very significant. While a Muslim is dying, the family repeats profession of faith and persuade the dying to do that as well. After the vital functions stopped, the body is put in the position on the right side with the face towards Mecca and the ritual ablution and the preparations to the funeral begin. If the dead person had any debt – it must be settled. After the ablution, the body is covered with a shroud. The funeral must be processed within 24 hours after death. After the ablution, a prayer is conducted in accordance with the Qur’an’s regulations. The body is brought to the cemetery and put to the tomb with the face towards Mecca. Muslim tombstones are very modest; there are no unnecessary decorations or flowers. The next day, the closest relatives must distribute the alms and only then they are allowed to receive the condolences.
When the colonists arrived in Mazovia in the late Middle Ages introduced many customs to regional culture borderlands of Warmia and Mazury. The remains of this culture testify to the universal content which, together with the adoption of Christianity perpetuated for many centuries original folk culture. Entering Christianity in these lands, however, was open to accepting existing practices. Many rituals and folk customs were introduced into the Church calendar. Described below economic work based primarily on common knowledge, passed on from generation to generation.
PL
Gdy przybyli mazowieccy koloniści u schyłku średniowiecza wprowadzili wiele zwyczajów do kultury regionalnej pogranicza warmińsko-mazurskiego. Pozostałości tej kultury świadczą o uniwersalnych treściach, które wraz z przyjęciem chrześcijaństwa utrwaliły na wiele stuleci oryginalną kulturę ludową. Chrześcijaństwo wkraczające na te ziemie było jednak otwarte na przyjmowanie zastanych praktyk. Wiele obrzędów i ludowych zwyczajów wprowadzono do kalendarza kościelnego. Opisywane poniżej prace gospodarcze opierały się przede wszystkim na wiedzy potocznej, przekazywanej z pokolenia na pokolenie.
The paper tries to answer the question of how the conception of “water” is understood by the Hausa people living mainly in Nigeria and Niger. The main aim of the paper is to develop a cultural schema of water based on everyday contact with this liquid in the household and in the natural environment. The analysis is based on the methodology of cultural linguistics (Sharifian 2017) which examines the relationship between language and cultural conceptualizations. The first part of the article is devoted to every-day use of water. The second part deals with ritual cleansing and healing. The third part describes natural and artificial water reservoirs. Particular attention has been paid to terms co-occuring with the Hausa word ruwa meaning ‘water’, i.e. names of vessels, containers, tanks, and reservoirs as well as people and creatures related to water, such as water carriers, masters of water and supernatural beings inhabiting rivers and lakes.
Two hundred years have passed since the question of subjectivity (re-interpreted through Kierkegaard’s existentialism) became central in modern philosophy. Over these two centuries, multiple theories addressed and questioned the borders between authentic subjectivity and an internalized panopticon of the hegemonic views that dominate the subject. Nevertheless, they still have to be definitively defined. As we may try to point Fake News (FN) is an opponent to subjectivity, and yet it comes from the subject. FN is the intentional spreading through new technologies of false information on a global level by subjects that use social media, a process influencing not only the sense of socio-political reality but also the concept of identity. Identities (personal or collective) are in general the combination of the socially determined understanding of ‘who I am’ and the socially and psychologically influenced ‘mental model’ of ‘what the world - and the self within it - should be’, all expressed and produced under the fundamental influence of our idiosyncratic characteristics. One of the fields that all these factors meet and interact is the new mediated environment where almost everyone can participate and contribute. According to the Sociology of Communication as founded by Giddens, Habermas and Luckmann (Leydesdorff 2000) this makes the public part of our identity the dominant one, creating a ritual in which our narcissistic elements dominate our private ones. The Self, addressing itself into the public like an echo and back to the Self, becomes ritualized. In our paper, we explore the interrelation of this phenomenon with the creation and distribution of Fake News, from the vantage point of Kierkegaard’s existential philosophy.
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