The Orange Order: Parades, other Rituals, and Their Outcomes

Abstract

This study investigates the ritualized practices engaged in by members of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland and how participating in such activities affects group members and that society; for example, how rituals such as parading contribute to the beliefs and ultimately the power of the Orange Order. This study contributes to a growing body of work dealing with the relationship between ritual, symbolism, and power in modern society, in this case Northern Ireland. We employ structural ritualization theory to analyze the overall rank or strength of ritualized activities engaged in by members of the Orange Order. Based upon observational data, interviews, and the analysis of documents, we conclude that the rituals engaged in by members of the Orange Order are highly ranked, ritualized, symbolic practices. We further suggest that these practices express several themes; preliminary evidence suggests that these themes lead to outcomes that affect the Orange Order and Northern Irish society generally.