Editorial Introduction to the Special Dossier on Rituals and Global Community

Abstract

This special dossier brings together contributions examining how rituals and collective gatherings contribute to the expansion of social identification and the construction of a sense of global community. Originating in an international seminar on rituals and global community, the included works converge on the view that rituals operate as emotional technologies that shape the processes of identification, regulate the dynamics of fear and care, and operate to either reinforce bounded group identities or expand the moral circle. The collection unites three complementary levels of analysis: a normative–theoretical framework on the emotional foundations of global community, a psychosocial process model of collective effervescence and self-transcendent emotions, and a qualitative and pedagogical approach grounded in cultural heritage and collective action. Together, the articles advance an integrated research agenda on ritual, collective emotion, and identification with all humanity, highlighting the scientific and civic importance of understanding when and how rituals foster more inclusive forms of belonging.