>For one, to claim that most developed countries have purged ritual feels more like you are referring to some specific rituals.
They most likely mean all kinds of overt rituals societies used to have and some non-western societies still have.
What kind of rituals do we have that you have in mind that we still have, and that are not either very peripheral to everyday life or have not been diminishing in importance and attendance year by year?
Ignoring that there are non-western developed countries; many western societies still have church attendance, for one. Then there are the ball game rituals that have risen quite a bit. We still largely have the same holidays, as well.
Do we still do the same rituals as we did in the past? Of course not. Which is why I would largely agree. I suspect the evidence will be such that there are still more rituals than folks admit to. Graduation ceremonies. Weddings. Etc.
They most likely mean all kinds of overt rituals societies used to have and some non-western societies still have.
What kind of rituals do we have that you have in mind that we still have, and that are not either very peripheral to everyday life or have not been diminishing in importance and attendance year by year?