About: Structural ritualization theory

Structural ritualization theory, a concept related to the fields of sociology and social psychology, emphasizes embedded groups. These are groups located in a larger environment. The taken-for-granted practices of people in these groups are similar to patterns of behavior in the larger environment. When routinely performed, their actions acquire symbolic significance. They become part of a cognitive script that dictates behavior. The members of embedded groups do not just copy the practices. They express them in ways that may confirm patterns of behavior in the larger environment. In other words, the larger environment feeds the embedded group.