In the celebration of Mardi Gras, centralized in Louisiana , the social structure of normal society is being challenged. Along with this are many clear forms of role reversal. These two elements bring a sense of communtias to the celebration of Mardi Gras.

 

First we need to define communitas. "A bond uniting people over and above any formal social bonds,"(Znaniecki 1936) Communitas is the reduction of social hierarchy through celebration. Once reduced, the equality among all the participants in the celebration is the main reason communitas can exist. The idea that a participant in a celebration with you is on a different hierarchical level constrains your interaction between one another, and when this is challenged and/or suppressed by manipulating social structure, a superior connection can be seen between participants.

 

Next we need to define social structure. Social structure is "the way in which society is organized into predictable relationships, patterns of social interaction (the way in which people respond to each other). (Social 2004) This idea is not a biologically engrained concept, its been created by humans. Humans have created hierarchy and social class to organize way of life. This happens in every society. For example, a system of organization such as government, where there are different levels that are higher or lower then one another.

 

One way to challenge this social structure in order to achieve a sense of communtas is by role reversal. This is basically the switching of an individuals personal social niche to challenge the entire system of social structure. Role reversal is an integral part of the rules of carnival and mischief. In the celebration of Mardi Gras, during the parades set up by special organizations known as krewes, role reversal can be seen in many different forms. Young participants dress like elders, and vice versa. Men can dress like women, and women like men. Even statuses such as wealth are crossed, when rich participants will dress like beggars and the homeless will dress like wealthy krewe members. Also racial boundaries are often crossed. Participants in Mardi Gras will often paint their faces and dress up as a different race, in playful role reversal. These reversals may be multi-layered, such as a poor white male dressing up as a wealthy black female.

 

  Most often this playful role reversal is only achieved when the reversals are obvious. For example, a male dressed as a female will not get the desired visual laughter unless he is obviously a male dressed as a female. He could have chest hair growing out of his tank top filled with balloons to resemble breasts, or have a beard with women's makeup. This obvious recognition of their true social status under their costume increases the carnival humor. Along with just serving as a laughing matter, these role reversals will invert the social order of normal society to one with less hierarchical order and more prone to conceive a sense of communitas.

 

  When role reversal is present and social structure is challenged many traits can be observed. For example, in Mardi Gras, the parades are the epitome of a challenged social structure. Parades involve all different walks of life. Socially upscale members will freely interact with lower class members, and vice versa. Even the homeless have important roles in Mardi Gras parades. This is what communitas is about. The ability to interact without the acknowledgment of social status forms this communitas bond between participants of the celebration. Mardi Gras is a celebration in which communitas actually regulates everyday life outside of the celebration. During the equal rights movements, Louisiana experienced rather few riots and violent acts even though it was a southern, predominately black state. One explanation of this sense of cooperation is Mardi Gras. The chance to celebrate as equals and achieve a communitas bond could quite possibly release the resentment between ethnic groups outside the celebration of Mardi Gras.