A Research Study On Howling Ritual By Van Gennep s...

INTRODUCTION The United World College USA is an international high school in New Mexico. There are currently 230 students in the community, representing 88 different countries in two different classes. In the beginning of the year, there is usually a significant distance between the two classes, since one of them have already spent one year at the school when the new class arrives. The â€Å"Howling Ritual† is a student-run tradition, that takes place on the night of the first full moon of every school year. It is organized by the second years. In this study, inspired by my observations as a participant in the ritual and the following conversations I had with students, I will explore the social function of the â€Å"Howling Ritual† using anthropologist Van Gennep’s theory on rites of passage. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES I decided to use qualitative methods to obtain data for my investigation, since I thought they would allow me more depth and detail. My research techniques were participant observation and interviewing. My participant observation took place on the 15th of September 2016 on the campus of UWC-USA, where the ritual was performed. l. Since I was participating on equal terms with everyone else, I chose to prioritize being as involved in the ritual as I could, and didn’t take notes during it. Immediately after the ritual, I wrote down my observations as detailed as I could. However, this meant that some accuracy of my observations, that I think could have benefitted my