The idea of liminality has been applied by scholars to more than simply rituals. For instance, anthropologists have examined the way in which post-disaster periods are sometimes characterized by liminal attributes and people experiencing feelings of communitas.

 

However, social scientist Agnes Horvath argues that liminality is not always positive in the way that a focus on communitas might suggest. Her exploration of liminality is useful for an analysis of the reconstruction processes in New Orleans.

 

The lengthy process of rebuilding has caused many people to live with the constant stress of an unknown future and an inability to rebuild their lives. Displaced residents essentially live in liminal conditions characterized by uncertainty, confusion and fear. Reconstruction is likened to “a funeral that would not end” (Adams 2013).