A Rite Of Passage Tab

Ritual reflecting change of social condition

A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an private leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of rite de passage, a French term innovated by the ethnographer Arnold van Gennep in his piece of work Les rites de passage, The Rites of Passage.^[1] The term is now fully adopted into anthropology equally well as into the literature and popular cultures of many modernistic languages.

Original conception [edit]

In English language, Van Gennep's showtime judgement of his outset affiliate begins:^[2]

"Each larger society contains within information technology several distinctly separate groupings. ... In addition, all these groups pause down into still smaller societies in subgroups."

The population of a society belongs to multiple groups, some more important to the individual than others. Van Gennep uses the metaphor, "as a kind of house divided into rooms and corridors."^[three] A passage occurs when an individual leaves i group to enter another; in the metaphor, he changes rooms.

Van Gennep farther distinguishes betwixt "the secular" and "the sacred sphere." Theorizing that civilizations are arranged on a scale, implying that the lower levels represent "the simplest level of development," he hypothesizes that "social groups in such a club likewise accept magico-religious foundations." Many groups in modern industrial society practice customs that can exist traced to an before sacred stage. Passage between these groups requires a ceremony, or ritual rite of passage.

The balance of Van Gennep's book presents a description of rites of passage and an organization into types, although in the end he despairs of e'er capturing them all:^[four] "It is just a rough sketch of an immense picture ...." He is able to observe some universals, mainly two: "the sexual separation between men and women, and the magico-religious separation betwixt the profane and the sacred." (Earlier the translators used secular for profane.) He refuses credit for being the offset to recognize type of rites. In the work he concentrates on groups and rites individuals might normally encounter progressively: pregnancy, childbirth, initiation, betrothal, marriage, funerals and the like. He mentions some others, such every bit the territorial passage, a crossing of borders into a culturally different region, such as one where a different religion prevails.

Stages [edit]

Rites of passage take three phases: separation, liminality, and incorporation, equally van Gennep described. "I propose to call the rites of separation from a previous world, preliminal rites, those executed during the transitional stage liminal (or threshold) rites, and the ceremonies of incorporation into the new globe postliminal rites."^[v]

In the first stage, people withdraw from their current status and prepare to motility from one identify or status to some other. "The commencement stage (of separation) comprises symbolic behavior signifying the detachment of the individual or group ... from an earlier fixed indicate in the social structure."^[6] There is often a detachment or "cut abroad" from the former self in this phase, which is signified in symbolic actions and rituals. For case, the cutting of the hair for a person who has simply joined the ground forces. He or she is "cutting away" the former cocky: the civilian.

The transition (liminal) phase is the menses between stages, during which one has left one place or country but has not still entered or joined the next. "The attributes of liminality or of liminal personae ("threshold people") are necessarily ambiguous."^[7]

In the third phase (reaggregation or incorporation) the passage is consummated [by] the ritual discipline."^[8] Having completed the rite and assumed their "new" identity, i re-enters club with one's new status. Re-incorporation is characterized by elaborate rituals and ceremonies, similar debutant balls and higher graduation, and by outward symbols of new ties: thus "in rites of incorporation there is widespread employ of the 'sacred bail', the 'sacred string', the knot, and of analogous forms such every bit the belt, the band, the bracelet and the crown."^[9]

Psychological effects [edit]

Laboratory experiments have shown that astringent initiations produce cerebral dissonance.^[10] It is theorized that such dissonance heightens group attraction amongst initiates after the feel, arising from internal justification of the effort used.^[eleven] Rewards during initiations have important consequences in that initiates who feel more rewarded limited stronger grouping identity.^[12] As well as grouping attraction, initiations can also produce conformity amongst new members.^[13] Psychology experiments have also shown that initiations increase feelings of amalgamation.^[14]

Aronson and Mills tested the Festinger's (1957) theory of cerebral noise past having 3 groups read either embarrassing cloth, non very embarrassing material, or nada at all to a group. Aronson and Mills summarized Festinger's theory of cerebral racket equally such when discussing the rationale for their study: "No matter how attractive a grouping is to a person it is rarely completely positive, i.east., commonly there are some aspects of the group that the private does non similar. If he has undergone an unpleasant initiation to proceeds admission to the group, his cognition that he has gone through an unpleasant experience for the sake of membership is dissonant with his cognition that there are things about the group that he does not like. He can reduce this dissonance in two ways. He tin convince himself that the initiation was not very unpleasant, or he tin can exaggerate the positive characteristics of the group and minimize its negative aspects. With increasing severity of initiation information technology becomes more and more hard to believe that the initiation was not very bad. Thus, a person who has gone through a painful initiation to become a fellow member of a group should tend to reduce his dissonance by over estimating the attractiveness of the grouping." Those who read the severely embarrassing cloth perceived the group as more attractive than those who read the mildly embarrassing fabric or zip at all.^[xv] Another written report using mathematical subtraction tasks reached the opposite decision^[sixteen] but research using electrical shocks supported the concept that suffering increased the degree to which participants liked the group.^[17]

Cultural [edit]

The Hamar are known for their custom of "bull jumping", which initiates a boy into manhood.

Initiation rites are seen every bit key to human growth and development as well equally socialization in many African communities. These rites function by ritually marking the transition of someone to total grouping membership.^[18] It also links individuals to the customs and the community to the broader and more potent spiritual world. Initiation rites are "a natural and necessary part of a community, but equally arms and legs are natural and necessary extension of the human body". These rites are linked to individual and customs development. Dr. Manu Ampim identifies v stages; rite to birth, rite to adulthood, rite to matrimony, rite to eldership and rite to ancestorship.^[19] In Zulu civilization, entering womanhood is celebrated by the Umhlanga.

Types and examples [edit]

Rites of passage are diverse, and are found throughout many cultures around the earth. Many western societal rituals may look like rites of passage but miss some of the important structural and functional components. Notwithstanding, in many Native and African-American communities, traditional rites of passage programs are conducted by customs-based organizations such as Man Up Global. Typically the missing slice is the societal recognition and reincorporation phase. Risk pedagogy programs, such as Outward Bound, have often been described every bit potential rites of passage. Pamela Cushing researched the rites of passage touch on upon adolescent youth at the Canadian Outward Bound School and found the rite of passage impact was lessened by the missing reincorporation phase.^[xx] Bell (2003) presented more evidence of this defective tertiary stage and described the "Gimmicky Chance Model of a Rites of Passage" as a modern and weaker version of the rites of passage typically used by outdoor adventure programs.

Coming of age [edit]

In various tribal and developed societies, entry into an age grade—more often than not gender-separated—(unlike an age set) is marked by an initiation rite, which may exist the crowning of a long and circuitous preparation, sometimes in retreat.

Acquisition of a drivers license
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
Breeching, when an infant is put into boy's habiliment
Coming of Age in Unitarian Universalism
Completion of toilet training
Débutante brawl
Dokimasia
First menses, i.e. menarche
- Seclusion of girls at puberty
- Sevapuneru or Turmeric ceremony
Graduation
Okuyi in several West African nations
Poy Sang Long in Shan Buddhist community
Quinceañera
Retirement
Russefeiring in Norway
Scarification and diverse other physical endurances
Secular coming of age ceremonies for non-religious youngsters who desire a rite of passage comparable to the religious rituals similar confirmation
Shinbyu in Burmese Buddhist community
Sweet Sixteen
Wedding
Walkabout

Religious [edit]

Amrit Sanchar in Sikhism
Annaprashana
Baptism (Christening)
Bar and Bat Mitzvah in Judaism
Circumcision
- Bris in Judaism
- Khitan in Islam^[21] ^[22] ^[23] ^[24]
- In Coptic Christianity,^[25] the Ethiopian Orthodox Church building and the Eritrean Orthodox Church building^[26] ^[27] ^[28]
Consecration in Reform Judaism
Confirmation in Western Christianity and some streams of Judaism
Diving for the Cantankerous, in some Orthodox Christian churches
Outset Communion, First Eucharist and Offset Confession
Siddur presentation ceremony in Judaism
Bible presentation ceremony in several branches of Protestantism
Hajj in Islam
Chudakarana, or hair cutting in Hinduism
Rumspringa
Sanskara, a series of sacraments in Hinduism
Shinbyu in Theravada Buddhism
Vision quest in some Native American cultures
Wiccaning in Wicca
Temple Endowment in the Latter-solar day Saint tradition

Military [edit]

Boot Camp and Officer Candidate Schoolhouse are rites of passage from noncombatant to military life. In the Usa Navy's Officer Candidate Schoolhouse and the United States Marine Corps, Drill Instructors industry stress as a form of training. In Turkish Armed Forces recruits accept an oath taking ceremony as a passage from civilian to armed forces members.
Claret wings
Line-crossing ceremony
Krypteia, a rite involving young Spartans, role of the agoge government of Spartan educational activity.
Ephebeia, a training menstruation for young Athenians
Wetting-down. In the U.Southward. Navy and Majestic Navy, is a ceremony in which a naval officer throws a party for his shipmates upon receiving a promotion.
Turkish Air Force officers in pilot grooming are hosed downwards with water and ordered to practise push-ups after completing their start solo flight.

Academic [edit]

The first 24-hour interval of schoolhouse, whether the starting time overall or the first in a specific phase prior to postsecondary education
Graduation
Matura

Some academic circles such equally dorms, fraternities, teams and other clubs practice hazing, ragging and fagging. Szecskáztatás, a mild form of hazing (usually without physical and sexual abuse), is practiced in some Hungarian secondary schools. Start-year junior students are publicly humiliated through embarrassing clothing and senior students branding their faces with marking pens; it is sometimes also a contest, with the winners usually earning the right to organize the next effect. Fraternities and sororities, similar other private societies, oftentimes have codified initiation ceremonies as ritual separating candidates from members.

Vocational/professional [edit]

White coat ceremony in medicine and chemist's shop.
The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, besides known as the Iron Ring Ceremony
Walk on Water: Second-year students must laissez passer the competition to proceed in the schoolhouse of architecture at Florida International University in the United States
A student pilot successfully completing a Beginning solo flying traditionally gets drenched with water and has his or her shirt tail cutting off.

Sports [edit]

Batizados in Capoeira
Blackness belt in martial arts
Blooding in fob hunting
A National Hockey League player's first goal (The puck used to score said goal may be retrieved, labeled, and given to the player as a keepsake.)

Other [edit]

Castration in some sects and special castes
Dental evulsion, amid diverse cultures of Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Earlier seasons of the goggle box series Survivor typically include a rite of passage prior to the last immunity challenge. Though the specifics of this rite of passage vary based on the customs and traditions of the host state, well-nigh rites of passage include a lengthy walk to the final claiming along which the remaining castaways pass the torches of every eliminated contestant from that season. There have been variations on this walk, such as seasons in which the remaining contestants paddle a boat to the final claiming and drop the torches into the ocean forth the way.

References [edit]

^ Van Gennep 1909, Lay Summary
^ Van Gennep, Vizedom & Caffee 2010, I. The Classification of Rites harvnb error: no target: CITEREFVan_GennepVizedomCaffee2010 (help)
^ Journet, Nicolas (1 January 2001). "Les rites de passage". Sciences Humaines (112): 31. doi:ten.3917/sh.112.0031. chaque société générale peut être considérée comme une sorte de maison divisée en chambres et couloirs
^ Van Gennep, Vizedom & Caffee 2010, Ten. Conclusions harvnb mistake: no target: CITEREFVan_GennepVizedomCaffee2010 (assistance)
^ van Gennep 1977: 21
^ Turner 1969: eighty.
^ Turner 1969: 95
^ Turner 1969: 80
^ van Gennep 1977: 166
^ Aronson & Mills 1959.
^ Festinger 1961.
^ Kamau 2012.
^ Keating et al. 2005.
^ Lodewijkx et al. 2005.
^ Aronson & Mills 1959.
^ Festinger 1961,
^ "The Initiation Anniversary Experiments: Simon Oxenham Looks Back at Some Studies in the Wake of 'Piggate'". The Psychologist. The British Psychological Gild. 6 Oct 2015. Retrieved 12 Jun 2022.
^ "African Culture Complex". Retrieved 2011-ten-04 .
^ The Five Major African Initiation Rites Prof. Manu Ampim
^ Cushing 1998.
^ Morgenstern 1966.
^ "Rites of Passage". Oxford Islamic Studies Online. 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ "Traditional Muslim Male person Circumcision: Performed past Arabs, Turkish, Malaysian and Others of this faith". CIRCLIST. 1992–2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ Hamid, Ismail (2005). "Islamic Rites of Passage". The Encyclopedia of Malaysia Volume 10: Religions and Beliefs. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ Thomas Riggs (2006). "Christianity: Coptic Christianity". Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices: Religions and denominations. Thomson Gale. ISBN978-0-7876-6612-5.
^ DeMello, Margo (2007). Encyclopedia of Torso Adornment. ABC-Clio. p. 66. ISBN9780313336959. Coptic Christians, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Eritrean Orthodox churches on the other hand, do observe the ordainment, and circumcise their sons anywhere from the first calendar week of life to the first few years.
^ North. Stearns, Peter (2008). The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modernistic World. Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN9780195176322. Uniformly good by Jews, Muslims, and the members of Coptic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, male circumcision remains prevalent in many regions of the world, peculiarly Africa, Southward and East asia, Oceania, and Anglosphere countries.
^ "Circumcision". Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press. 2011.

Bibliography [edit]

Aronson, E. & Mills, J. (1959) "The effect of severity of initiation on liking for a grouping." 'Journal of Aberrant and Social Psychology', pp. 177–181.
Bell, B.J. (2003). "The rites of passage and outdoor education: Critical concerns for effective programming". The Journal of Experiential Instruction. 26 (1): 41–50. doi:ten.1177/105382590302600107. S2CID 143370636.
Cushing, P.J. (1998). "Competing the cycle of transformation: Lessons from the rites of passage model". Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Experiential Instruction. nine (5): vii–12.
Festinger, L (1961). "The psychological effects of bereft rewards". American Psychologist. 16 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1037/h0045112.
Garces-Foley, Kathleen (2006). Decease and faith in a irresolute world. ME Sharpe.
Kamau, C (2012). "What does beingness initiated severely into a group do? The office of rewards". International Journal of Psychology. 48 (3): 399–406. doi:10.1080/00207594.2012.663957. PMID 22512542.
Keating, C. F.; Pomerantz, J.; Pommer, S. D.; Ritt, S. J. H.; Miller, 50. G.; McCormick, J. (2005). "Going to college and unpacking hazing: A functional approach to decrypting initiation practices amongst undergraduates". Group Dynamics: Theory, Enquiry, and Practise. 9 (2): 104–126. CiteSeerX10.ane.1.611.2494. doi:10.1037/1089-2699.9.2.104.
Lodewijkx, H. F. 1000.; van Zomeren, M.; Syroit, J. E. Yard. M. (2005). "The anticipation of a severe initiation: Gender differences in effects on affiliation tendency and group attraction". Small Group Research. 36 (2): 237–262. doi:ten.1177/1046496404272381. S2CID 146168269.
Morgenstern, Julian (1966). Rites of Birth, Marriage, Death, and Kindred Occasions amid the Semites. Cincinnati.
Turner, Victor (1967). "Betwixt and between: the liminal period in rites de passage". Wood of symbols: aspects of the Ndembu ritual. Ithaca: Cornell Up. pp. 23–59.
Turner, Victor W. (1969). The Ritual Process. Penguin.
Van Gennep, Arnold (1909). Les rites de passage (in French). Paris: Émile Nourry.
- Frederick Starr (March 1910). "Les rites de passage. By Arnold Van Gennep". The American Journal of Folklore. 15 (5): 707–709.
—— (1977) [1960]. The Rites of Passage. Routledge Library Editions Anthropology and Ethnography. Translated by Vizedom, Monika B; Caffee, Gabrielle 50 (Paperback Reprint ed.). Hove, East Sussex, Great britain: Psychology Press. ISBN978-0-7100-8744-seven.
—— (2010) [1960]. The Rites of Passage. Translated past ——; —— (Reprint ed.). Routledge. ISBN978-0-415-61156-5.

External links [edit]

Dictionary.com: Rites of Passage
McCray, Kenja (2018). "'Talk Doesn't Melt the Soup': Reflections on a Collegiate Rites of Passage Programme". Murmurations: Emergence, Equity and Education. ane (1): 20–28. doi:10.31946/meee.v1i1.28.