These Field Assignments and Special Projects come from the Point Menu of The Great Flying Chaos Learning Circus...an interactively rich and informationally diverse Syllabus.   The weight assigned to each Menu Item assumes a 200 pt. budget; i.e., students are 'given' 200 points with which they may 'buy' an assignment.  Of the 200 pts, 100 must be spent on tests.  Students can earn a grade without taking final examinations in this Syllabus...hence students are greatly motivated to 'spend' points.

DRAMAS OF THE HOLY

DATE DUE: 11 APRIL, 1995

DIRECTIONS:  ATTEND A CHURCH SERVICE.  

ANSWER ANY TEN OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW.
2 POINTS EACH.

A.  WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE CHURCH YOU ATTENDED  ____________________
b.  WHAT WAS THE SERMON OF THE MINISTER/PRIEST  _____________________
C.  HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THE SERVICE  ________.
D.  DATE OF ATTENDANCE: _____________

1.  DID SOME ONE GREET YOU AND GIVE YOU 'FACE RIGHTS' TO BE THERE.  
	EXPLAIN HOW THIS WAS DONE.
2. WERE THERE SPECIAL FORMS OF CLOTHING WITH WHICH TO 'DEFINE THE 
	SITUATION' AS A HOLY ONE?    
	EXPLAIN....WHO WORE WHAT THAT MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE IN A 
	RELIGIOUS DEF/SIT?
3. WHAT ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE BUILDING [SEATS, GLASS, SHAPE, 
	LAYOUT, ETC] MADE IT CLEAR THAT ONE WAS IN A RELIGIOUS DEF/SIT
	AND ONLY A RELIGIOUS DEF/SIT.??
4. WHERE THERE ANY SPECIAL 'PROPS' [FLOWERS, CANDLES, MUSIC, SILVER-
	WARE, ETC] WHICH WERE USED TO SIGNIFY THIS AS A 'DRAMA OF THE 
	HOLY?'  LIST THEM AND HOW THEY WERE USED.
5. SANCTIFICATION.  MOST SERMONS SANCTIFY SOME SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP OR 
	ANOTHER.  LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE SERMON AND TELL ME WHICH OF 
	THE FOLLOWING SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, IF ANY, WERE SANCTIFIED:  
	EXPLAIN WHAT THE MINISTER/MUSIC SAID.
	A.  THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP 
	B.  THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP
	C.  THE CHURCH AS A FELLOWSHIP/COMMUNITY ITSELF    
	D.  THE LARGER COMMUNITY IN TOWN OR CITY.
	E.  THE NATION/STATE: Were Patriotic claims made??
	F.  THE WORLD AND ALL PEOPLES IN IT.
        G.  OTHER: LIST
6.  PROFANATION.  SOME SERMONS DEFINE SOME ACTIVITIES AS SINFUL, EVIL,
	CORRUPT AND OR HARMFUL TO THE HUMAN PROJECT.  DID THE 
	MINISTER'S SERMON DO THIS??  EXPLAIN WHAT WAS DEFINED AS A
	'PROFANATION UNDER THE SUN' AND WHAT THE MINISTER/PRIEST SAID.
7.  REIFICATION.  ALMOST EVERY SOCIAL OCCASION HAS ONE POINT AT WHICH 
	IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THIS FORM OF SOCIAL REALITY IS NOW 
	UNDER WAY.  A BLESSING, A MOMENT OF PRAYER, A COLLECTIVE
	SONG OR SOME OTHER SPECIAL ACTIVITY SIGNALS THE BEGINNING OF 
	THE 'REALITY' UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  AT WHAT POINT DID THIS 
	HAPPEN IN YOUR SERVICE.  EXPLAIN.
8.  DISENGAGEMENT ROUTINES.  ALMOST EVERY SOCIAL OCCASION SUCH AS 
	THIS HAS A SPECIFIC CLOSING RITUAL AFTER WHICH THE 
	DEF/SIT IS OVER AND PEOPLE ARE 'FREE' TO TALK/THINK/FEEL/DO 
	WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.  
	HOW WERE THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION 'DIS-ENGAGED' 
	FROM THE SOCIOLOGY OF IT ALL?  EXPLAIN.
9.  BOUNDARY COLLUSIONS.  SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE PEOPLE BEHAVE IN 
	WAYS IN-COMPATIBLE TO THE DEF/SIT.  
	THEY WHISPER, GIGGLE, PASS NOTES, EXCHANGE GLANCES OR HOLD 
	HANDS.  FRIENDSHIPS, ROMANCES, PLAY-TIMES, AND OTHER DEF/SIT 
	SOMETIMES APPEAR IN SITUATIONS WHICH ARE SEEN BE DULL, BORING,
	TEDIOUS OR IRRELEVANT TO THE PERSONS SO ENGAGED.  DID THIS 
	HAPPEN?  HOW DO YOU KNOW?
10.  SOLIDARITY SUPPLIES.  CHURCH SERVICES USUALLY HAVE SEVERAL 
	SOLIDARITY DEVICES/SUPPLIES WITH WHICH TO SANCTIFY EACH 
	PERSON PRESENT TO EVERY OTHER PERSON PRESENT.  WHAT SPECIAL
	SOLIDARITY SUPPLIES DID YOU OBSERVE?  [SONGS/SINGING TOGETHER,
	FOOD/EATING TOGETHER, WINE/DRINKING TOGETHER, PRAYER/PRAYING 
	TOGETHER ARE SOME SOLIDARITY SUPPLIES.  DID YOU SEE THESE OR
	ANY OTHERS? EXPLAIN.
11.  TOY INVOLVEMENTS.  AGAIN, WHEN IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ONE TO 'STAY 
	UP-TIGHT' TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF IT ALL, SOMETIMES INDIVIDUALS 
	WILL 'GO AWAY.'  MOTHERS PLAY WITH A CHILD INSTEAD OF 
	ATTENDING TO THE SERMON; GIRLS PLAY WITH THEIR HAIR; CHILDREN
	READ COLOR BOOKS MOTHERS BRING ALONG; MEN DAY-DREAM; BOYS TAP
	THEIR FEET.  DID YOU OBSERVE ANY SUCH 'FORMS OF BEING AWAY' 
	FROM THE SOCIAL OCCASION DEFINED AS 'REALLY THERE?'
12.  ENGROSSMENT.  OFTEN SOME OR ALL OF THE PEOPLE PRESENT WILL BE 
	SO ENGROSSED IN THE 'SOCIOLOGY OF IT ALL' THAT THEY FORGET 
	THEMSELVES AND ACT SPONTANEOUSLY IN WAYS NOT CALLED FOR IN
	THE OFFICIALLY GIVEN 'SCRIPT' FOR THE SERVICES.  PEOPLE NOD 
	THEIR HEADS, CLAP THEIR HANDS, SHOUT IN AGREEMENT OR 
	OTHERWISE siGNAL THEIR COMPLETE ENGROSSMENT IN THE DRAMA OF 
	THE HOLY uNDER CONSTRUCTION.  DID THAT HAPPEN?  
	[GOFFMAN CALLS THIS 'FLOODING OUT.']
13.  SPONTANEOUS DRAMAS OF THE HOLY.  OFTEN, OUTSIDE OF A CHURCH 
	SERVICE, PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER WILL DO SOMETHING 
	WHICH SANCTIFIES ANOTHER PERSON AND EMBODIES AN UNSCHEDULED
	'DRAMA OF THE HOLY.' [THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN FOR 
	INSTANCE].  HAVE YOU OBSERVED SUCH A DRAMA OF THE HOLY IN 
	PUBLIC PLACES; PEOPLE HELPING OTHERS; PROTECTING OTHERS FROM 
	HARM; GIVING COMFORT TO THE AGED, TO THE POOR, TO THE 
	HANDICAPPED?

OPTION A:

 COMMUNAL DRAMAS OF THE HOLY:  Do this assignment for such Holy
	Days as Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or St. Valentine's Day.

OPTION B:

 UNIVERSAL BEING: Do this assignment for such global events as
	a flood, hurricane, earthquake, epidemic or other 'act of God.'