Research On Rural Stage Culture In The Perspective Of Ritual Theory

In the report at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China,the Rural Revitalization Strategy was mentioned,we should not neglect the role of cultural construction in promoting rural revitalization while developing rural economy.The excellent traditional culture that survived in rural areas has become increasingly fading under the impact of changes of times and changes of thoughts.In the rural areas of Daye,Hubei Province,the "Ancestor Opera" has always been popular.The combination of Chu opera performances,rural sacrificial ceremonies and clan cultures has made the"Ancestor Opera"an important cultural ceremonial form in Daye's rural society.The thesis focuses on the "Ancestor Opera" and its derivative stage culture in the rural areas of Daye.Basing on the ritual theory of anthropology,combining with the existing research in sociology and communication,and adopting the field survey method,interview method,observation method,the thesis is aimed at exploring the elements of the rural stage culture,the functions of the stage in the rural society,the specific process and functions of the "Ancestor Opera" as a ritual,the ritual of "Song Yetai“and the clan relationships behind it,the influence of the stage culture on the daily life of the villagers,the relationship between the stage culture and the rural social changes.Through the investigation and analysis of "Ancestor Opera" in Lishihai Village and Zhulinwan Village,the thesis draws three conclusions about the stage culture:The first,the stage plays an important role in Daye's rural society.First of all,it is a public space in rural society,which has created a ritual space for the rural rituals and a communication space for people's communication.Besides,the stage is the "media" of cultural communication.Traditional opera culture and rural etiquette culture are spread through the stage media.The stage is also a field of rural social integration.It integrates all village members under the unified rural etiquette,ethical and moral concepts,eliminates the differences among them,and eases their tensions,thus forms a "cultural community".Secondly,the "Ancestor Opera" can be regarded as a kind of rural sacrifice ritual,and a public performance of the clan power;"Jie Taigong" and "Song Yetai" are branching rituals of "Ancestor Opera",they are also the bond between the clan villages with the same surname.The "Ancestor Opera"has four basic characteristics of ritual,stylization,performance,symbolism and repetition;and "Ancestor Opera" is held to sacrifice the ancestors of the clan,so the thesis regards it as a rural sacrifice ritual.And the third,the stage culture exists to maintain the traditional rural social structure.The stage culture spreads a set of ethical and moral concepts applicable to rural society:mother should be kind,children should be dutiful,husband and wife should be harmonious,people should be gentle,and system should be fair and strict.While the traditional rural society is a structure of pyramid:single family?villages with the same surname?clan?rural society,the maintenance of this social structure is inseparable from the ethical and moral concepts spread by the stage culture,and it is also inseparable from the clan concept implanted into the thoughts of the villagers.