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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Published on: August 5, 2020

Ritual dynamics in humanitarian assistance.

Paul Richards¹

¹Technology and Agrarian Development Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands. paul.richards@wur.nl

|February 6, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Humanitarian aid can strengthen social cohesion by incorporating food distribution rituals. This approach ensures aid supports both material needs and social bonds, preventing harm during crises.

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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Published on: August 5, 2020

Area of Science:

Social Sciences
Anthropology
Sociology

Background:

Humanitarian interventions risk undermining social cohesion during crises.
Neo-Durkheimian theory highlights the role of rituals in social bonding.
Practical aid delivery may neglect the social and ritualistic aspects of assistance.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze how humanitarian aid, specifically food distribution, impacts social cohesion.
To explore the importance of ritual agency in restoring social bonds.
To provide recommendations for integrating ritualistic practices into humanitarian programs.

Main Methods:

Analysis of a post-war food security project in Sierra Leone.
Application of a neo-Durkheimian theoretical framework.
Qualitative assessment of aid distribution and social dynamics.

Main Results:

Food distribution, when framed as a ritual, fosters social loyalties alongside material support.
Ignoring ritualistic dimensions can create a disconnect between material aid and social reality.
Integrating ritual practices enhances the effectiveness and social impact of humanitarian assistance.

Conclusions:

Humanitarian actors must consider the ritualistic aspects of aid to avoid damaging social cohesion.
Creating space for ritualization is an ethical imperative for humanitarian interventions.
Lessons from Sierra Leone offer a model for improving global humanitarian aid organization.