Rational Ritual :Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge

Publication subTitle :Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge

Author: Chwe Michael Suk-Young;;;  

Publisher: Princeton University Press‎

Publication year: 2013

E-ISBN: 9781400846436

P-ISBN(Paperback): 9780691158280

Subject: C912.67 Social Thoughts

Keyword: 政治理论,政治、法律,逻辑学(论理学),数理科学和化学,社会科学理论与方法论

Language: ENG

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Description

Why do Internet, financial service, and beer commercials dominate Super Bowl advertising? How do political ceremonies establish authority? Why does repetition characterize anthems and ritual speech? Why were circular forms favored for public festivals during the French Revolution? This book answers these questions using a single concept: common knowledge.

Game theory shows that in order to coordinate its actions, a group of people must form "common knowledge." Each person wants to participate only if others also participate. Members must have knowledge of each other, knowledge of that knowledge, knowledge of the knowledge of that knowledge, and so on. Michael Chwe applies this insight, with striking erudition, to analyze a range of rituals across history and cultures. He shows that public ceremonies are powerful not simply because they transmit meaning from a central source to each audience member but because they let audience members know what other members know. For instance, people watching the Super Bowl know that many others are seeing precisely what they see and that those people know in turn that many others are also watching. This creates common knowledge, and advertisers selling products that depend on consensus are willing to pay large sums to gain access to it. Remarkably, a great variety of rituals and ceremonies, such as formal inaugurations, work in much the same way.

By using a rational-choice argument to explain diverse cu

Chapter

1. Kiva, Chetro Ked, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Reprinted from Stephen H. Lekson, Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, (Albuquerque, N.M.: National Park Service, 1984). Photograph courtesy of National Park Service, Chaco Canyon National Historical Park.

1. Kiva, Chetro Ked, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Reprinted from Stephen H. Lekson, Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, (Albuquerque, N.M.: National Park Service, 1984). Photograph courtesy of National Park Service, Chaco Canyon National Historical Park.

2. City Hall, Fort Worth, Texas. Reprinted from Charles T. Goodsell, The Social Meaning of Civic Space: Studying Political Authority through Architecture (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988), reprinted by permission of the University Press of Kansas. Photograph by Charles Goodsell.

2. City Hall, Fort Worth, Texas. Reprinted from Charles T. Goodsell, The Social Meaning of Civic Space: Studying Political Authority through Architecture (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988), reprinted by permission of the University Press of Kansas. Photograph by Charles Goodsell.

3. Festival of Liberty, October 1792. Reprinted from Révolutions de Paris: Dédiés á la nation et au district des Petits Augustins, no. 171. (Paris: Imprimerie des Révolutions, 1792). Courtesy of Fales Library, New York University.

3. Festival of Liberty, October 1792. Reprinted from Révolutions de Paris: Dédiés á la nation et au district des Petits Augustins, no. 171. (Paris: Imprimerie des Révolutions, 1792). Courtesy of Fales Library, New York University.

4. "Payday." From On the Waterfront, 1954, renewed 1982 ©Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

4. "Payday." From On the Waterfront, 1954, renewed 1982 ©Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

5. About to ascend. From On the Waterfront, 1954, renewed 1982 ©Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

5. About to ascend. From On the Waterfront, 1954, renewed 1982 ©Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

6. Ship's hold as amphitheater. From On the Waterfront, 1954, renewed 1982 ©Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

6. Ship's hold as amphitheater. From On the Waterfront, 1954, renewed 1982 ©Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

7. "If your friends were entirely frank with you." Reprinted from Literary Digest, November 21, 1921.

7. "If your friends were entirely frank with you." Reprinted from Literary Digest, November 21, 1921.

8. "True Story: A Sign of the Times," Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio. By derf. Reprinted from Chicago Reader, September 13, 1996, section 4, page 28, reprinted by permission of John Backderf.

8. "True Story: A Sign of the Times," Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio. By derf. Reprinted from Chicago Reader, September 13, 1996, section 4, page 28, reprinted by permission of John Backderf.

9. Cost per thousand versus average audience size.

9. Cost per thousand versus average audience size.

10. Total cost of campaign versus four-week reach.

10. Total cost of campaign versus four-week reach.

11. Cost per thousand versus total cost of campaign.

11. Cost per thousand versus total cost of campaign.

12. Strong links and weak links.

12. Strong links and weak links.

13. Square and kite.

13. Square and kite.

14. Unit F, Stateville Correctional Center, Stateville, Illinois. Reprinted from Gary Marx and Christi Parsons, "Dangers of the Front Line," Chicago Tribune, November 11, 1996. Tribune photograph by John Smierciak.

14. Unit F, Stateville Correctional Center, Stateville, Illinois. Reprinted from Gary Marx and Christi Parsons, "Dangers of the Front Line," Chicago Tribune, November 11, 1996. Tribune photograph by John Smierciak.

15. Bentham's panopticon: chapel galleries are indicated by G and the chapel floor is indicated by M. Reprinted from Jeremy Bentham, Panopticon (1791), plate 2. In The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the superintendence of his executor, John Bowring. Vol. 4. Edinburgh: William Tait, 1843.

15. Bentham's panopticon: chapel galleries are indicated by G and the chapel floor is indicated by M. Reprinted from Jeremy Bentham, Panopticon (1791), plate 2. In The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the superintendence of his executor, John Bowring. Vol. 4. Edinburgh: William Tait, 1843.

16. Facing each other.

16. Facing each other.

17. My ovals.

17. My ovals.

18. Your ovals.

18. Your ovals.

19. Various events.

19. Various events.

20. When I'm awake and you're awake, I know you're awake; when I'm asleep and you're awake, I don't

20. When I'm awake and you're awake, I know you're awake; when I'm asleep and you're awake, I don't

21. The event that I know you're awake.

21. The event that I know you're awake.

22. When I'm awake and you're awake, you know that I know you're awake.

22. When I'm awake and you're awake, you know that I know you're awake.

23. You face away.

23. You face away.

24. Your ovals in the case in which you face away.

24. Your ovals in the case in which you face away.

25. You do not know that I know that you are awake.

25. You do not know that I know that you are awake.

26. Our actions in each state of the world.

26. Our actions in each state of the world.

27. If you see the other person sleeping, you stay on.

27. If you see the other person sleeping, you stay on.

28. The "successful" equilibrium.

28. The "successful" equilibrium.

29. The "unsuccessful" equilibrium.

29. The "unsuccessful" equilibrium.

30. Our actions in the case in which you face away.

30. Our actions in the case in which you face away.

31. The only equilibrium in the case in which you face away.

31. The only equilibrium in the case in which you face away.

1. Products advertised on the Super Bowl, 1989-2000.

1. Products advertised on the Super Bowl, 1989-2000.

2. Average audience size and average cost per thousand for various brand categories.

2. Average audience size and average cost per thousand for various brand categories.

3. Regressions of average cost per thousand on average audience size, demographic characteristics, four-week reach, and social good.

3. Regressions of average cost per thousand on average audience size, demographic characteristics, four-week reach, and social good.

Coordination Problems

Coordination Problems

Common Knowledge

Common Knowledge

Where the Argument Comes From

Where the Argument Comes From

2. Applications

2. Applications

Ceremonies and Authority

Ceremonies and Authority

How Do Rituals Work?

How Do Rituals Work?

Inward-Facing Circles

Inward-Facing Circles

On the Waterfront

On the Waterfront

Believe the Hype

Believe the Hype

The Price of Publicity

The Price of Publicity

Strong Links and Weak Links

Strong Links and Weak Links

The Chapel in the Panopticon

The Chapel in the Panopticon

3. Elaborations

3. Elaborations

Competing Explanations

Competing Explanations

Is Comrnon Knowledge an Impossible Ideal?

Is Comrnon Knowledge an Impossible Ideal?

Meaning and Common Knowledge

Meaning and Common Knowledge

Contesting Common Knowledge

Contesting Common Knowledge

Common Knowledge and History

Common Knowledge and History

Common Knowledge and Group Identity

Common Knowledge and Group Identity

4. Conclusion

4. Conclusion

Appendix. The Argument Expressed Diagrammatically

Appendix. The Argument Expressed Diagrammatically

References

References

Afteword to the 2013 Edition

Afteword to the 2013 Edition

Index

Index

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