Traditionally, life stages have been categorized in the order of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood scheer and blumenkrantz 2007. Marriage as a rite of passage marriage rites are omnipresent in human societies across history, cultures, and geography. Rite of passage rite of passage theoretical perspectives. Amongst hindus, relatives of the deceased traditionally eat only simple vegetarian food for thirteen days following a death.
The similarities are striking and doubtless reflect the close similarity in ways of human thought. For boys, this usually involves circumcision andor subincision. Across religions and cultures people honor the transition from childhood to adulthood with ritual. Rites of passage are universal, and presumptive evidence from archaeology in the form of burial finds strongly suggests that they go back. These cultural rites of passage are investigated within the theoretical framework of. Arnold van gennep 18731957 was the first anthropologist to note the regularity and significance of the rituals attached to the transitional stages in mans life, and his phrase for these, the rites of passage, has become a part of the language. In traditional cultures, one of the applications of the rite of passage was as.
For unitarian universalists this coming of age ceremony is usually the culmination of a process that involves the young person meeting with a mentor, studying the history of our liberal faith and, most importantly, creating a statement of beliefs to share with their congregation. Ceremonies that mark the stages of life provide clear definitions of societys expectations of the individual, and they give him or her a sense of identity and belonging. First, a boy must prove he is ready to be a man by doing things like carrying a heavy weapon and herding many cattle at a time. The okieks of kenya for instance, initiate the adolescent girls and boys at the age of 1416 years of age, after which the boys and girls are deemed to be adults. Farrer, the mescalero girls puberty ceremony, page 240 of mahdi, louise carus. In slavic rites, there were analogies between wedding rituals and.
The ritual takes place after a girl has had her first period. Rites of passage in many cultures are used to mark the socially recognized transition to sexual maturity. Citeseerx document details isaac councill, lee giles, pradeep teregowda. Four cross cultural examples of adolescent rites of passage. Community dance rituals and rites of passage within the. Although it is often used to describe the tumultuous transition from adolescence to adulthood, it can apply to any of lifes transitions births and beginnings, initiations, partnerings, and endings or death. In isizulu this ceremony has three different names. Many cultures and sub cultures have found a variety of ways to welcome their members into adulthood.
Different cultures around the world have rites of passage, and they follow a similar patterns corresponding with important events in human life, like birth, adulthood, marriage, eldership and death. Pdf rites of passage across cultures robert st clair. Lets travel to mexico and algeria to experience them both. Rites of passage are an important part of tradition and identity. The various rites by means of which societies effect transitions in the life of an individual from one social identity to another include celebrations of crises in. The term is now fully adopted into anthropology as well as into the literature and popular cultures of many modern languages. A crosscultural look at adolescent rites of passage helps us take a look at our own rite with new eyes. Emuratta is a very important ceremony in the maasai culture. When teens reach a certain age, they often mark their transition from childhood to adulthood through rites of passage. Here, for the first time, its implications are applied and tested in the field of medieval studies. In the search box type rites of passage and click the search button to get a list of results with reference articles with information about various rites from different cultures.
The forms attending rites of passage and the degree of importance given to them differ widely between cultures, but as lertzman 2002 and others point out, the key elements seem transcultural p. Among some of the indigenous societies of africa and australia, intentionally painful genital surgery has been an integral part of such rites of passage. Rites of passage rituals celebrate the transitions in ones lives. Research methodology we examine rites of passage in japanese traditional culture from the perspective of semiotic method.
Rites of passage have value for both the individual and the community. Rites of passagethrough all time across the earth, people have honored the. Although african rites of passage appear similar, there is notable difference in the style of celebration. The various rites by means of which societies effect transitions in the life of an individual from one social identity to another include celebrations of crises in the life cycle 23. The tangible character of actions can be seen in the way they are used instrumentally to attain profits, promotions, and calculated goals. Last week in our tenpart series of the 10 cultural universals, we talked about family structures this week, well continue our discussion of family by identifying the roles of family members and rites of passage across two cultures. Rites of passage is a term and concept more used than considered. Rites of passage in other cultures in african culture, tribal rites of passage are observed. Other rites of passage celebrate changes that are wholly cultural, such as initiation into societies composed of people with special interestsfor example, fraternities. Rite of passage ceremonies are both old and new, and can be learned, inherited, gifted, created and experienced, in many contexts.
All of these factors influence what is possible and what is challenging in the delivery of rite of passage ceremonies and processes. Whether they are raised in indigenous or modern cultures, there are two things that people crave. Rites of passage help individuals go through identity moratorium, finding their new identity to function and fit into the community as responsible adults. This transition we speak about is considered a journey of sorts. These cultural rites of passage are investigated within the theoretical framework of the sociology of knowledge and it is argued that this process has significant parallels with research of mary douglas on taboos, victor turner on cultural. Goldstein is a professor of psychology at central connecticut state university, new. Through these journeys of the spirit, as the west african shaman and teacher maildoma patrice some has called them, people are able to transcend the everyday concerns of life to connect with their own spirits and with the spirit world. The quest for contemporary rites of passage, carus publishing company, chicago, 1996. Rites of passage as a framework for community interventions with youth dr. Every area of the world has some form of coming of age ritual or rites of passage. Michelle 2010 came out with the meaning of funeral rites as customs and rituals, often. Cultural sociology of the middle east, asia and africa, vol.
Unique ways different african cultures celebrate rites of passage. From its beginning, the study of rites of passage has attempted to account for similarities and differences between the rites of different societies. Rites of passage as a framework for community interventions. He added that many cultures across the world have made funeral rites as part of the rites of passage performed to usher dead people into the spiritual world. Family and friends gather to bare witness, and impart wisdom, support, love, and strength in these crucial transitions. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Two totally different cultures have totally different rituals and rites of passage. How does rites of passage rituals vary in cultures.
Around the world, young jewish boys and girls celebrate their bar and bat mitzvahs at age and 12 in order to demonstrate their commitment to their faith and recognize that they are now responsible for following jewish law. How marriages take place, what their purposes are, how they are interpreted, and who officiates varies across time and space. Therefore, this weekend is dedicated to assisting fathers in calling forth their sons through teaching, clay pigeon shoot, fatherson devotion. Rites of passage for other cultures running head rites of. African traditional religion across africa, rites of passage have remained the foundation for. Rites of passage, as described by van gennep, consist of three principal stages. The rites of passage by arnold van gennep goodreads. Rites of passage as a framework for community interventions with. The use of dangerously polluted material in love magic occurs when a man resorts to the strongest magical. Rites of passage from shakespeares comic rites, by edward berry cambridge. After a period of acculturation, the return to ones original culture is also a traumatic experience known as reentry shock.
Here it made mention of the different ways, of how pregnant woman are subjected to one taboos or the other in various towns in africa including my area, ika north east local government, area of delta state. Van gennep notes these life rituals all share an underlying. Start here rites of passage research guides at pitt. The contemporary rites of passage movement stands indebted to many cultural traditions which have in bestcase scenarios gifted practices and in many cases suffered theft or appropriation. Marriage rituals 231 love magic the use of magical means to win the affection of a man or woman is common across cultures. Apr 23, 2016 although there is limited research done on exactly how this type of experimentation affects individuals within the context of music festivals, dance rituals, and cathartic experience, it is important to note that in many indigenous cultures from around the world psychoactive plant medicines have been used as healing rituals and rites of passage. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. This story is mainly about how different cultures mark transitions to a new stage of life. Marriage in most cultures cannot occur until the pair is prepared to. For boys, this usually involves circumcision andor. Last week in our tenpart series of the 10 cultural universals, we talked about family structures.
The rites of passage framework as a matrix of transgression. Rites of passage every day someone enters into a rite of passage whether it be by starting school, a new job, marriage, a confirmation or communion rites of passage are common place. Pdf rites of passage are inextricably associated with arnold van gennep. Often involves alienation or movement across boundaries. In the early 20th century, a french anthropologist, arnold van gennep, began to look at rituals. Which of the following comes from the word root that means to drive through or propel. The author probably begins the story with this excerpt because it provides readers with an example of a familiar rite of passage. The various rites of passage rituals in different cultures.
It involves a significant change of status in society. A zulu rite of passage according to victor mdluli from esiphezi kwazulu. Apr, 2016 how does rites of passage rituals vary in cultures. Dec 02, 2014 manhood across cultures most passage rites reflect a coming of age ceremony, and among the most historically conserved rituals involves that of manhood. Apr 23, 2014 these rites of passage are familiar to us and come without a whole lot of physical or social consequence, but throughout the world there are various cultures whose passages are far more trying and the consequences of which can last a lifetime. The rites of passage by william faulkner essay storytelling is a way to communicate with a larger part of society in ways that create relatable moments, in order to gain a broader understanding of different difficulties within that society. In this video i will demonstrate how different cultures express their rites of passage and share my own experience. It has been the experience of many in this network and beyond that there is a tremendous gift and beauty in this, and also that disputes can arise in the construction, use, and sharing of ritual practices and language. From shakespeares comic rites, by edward berry cambridge.
In many cultures, an important aspect of funeral rites in concerned with ensuring the safe and comfortable passage of the soul from life into death. A zulu rite of passage according to victor mdluli from. Obstetric training as a rite of passage robbie davisfloyd. They create a sense of personhood within the family and the community. Occurring in societies at all levels of organizational complexity, rites of passage offer archaeologists an opportunity to contribute to the anthropology of ritual and an understanding of the ways that some objects take on, or are given, attributes of life. Cultural rites of passage also are very important and play a not less important role. As with the different cultures around the world, every journey, most of the time, comes hand in hand with rituals or ceremonies. Pdf this paper examines the role social change and modernity plays in adolescent. Rites of passage and other rituals in the life histories of. A boy typically reaches the age of puberty when he is 14 years old, thats why we call the associated ritual the 14th in english. There are many rites of passage essays from different religions and cultures found in gale ebooks. Throughout history, cultures have had rites of passage ceremonies for their young men. In chapter one, pregnancy rites was one of the rites of passage.
Michelle 2010 came out with the meaning of funeral rites as customs and rituals, often religious in nature, which commemorates the end of a life. An analysis of the rites of passage and their relation to christianity. Rite of passage is a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. The various rites of passage rituals in different cultures rites of passage rituals celebrate the transitions in ones lives. One of the seminal works on rites of passage across world culture, this is an illuminating look at how humans move through life, marking our key turning points with events, or rituals. Rite of passage theoretical perspectives britannica. Birth, puberty, marriage, and death are, in all cultures, marked by ceremonies which may differ but are universal in function. A rite of passage is a ceremony that marks the transition from one phase of life to another. Rite of passage, ceremonial event, existing in all historically known societies, that is often connected with one of the biological milestones of life birth, maturity, reproduction, and death and that marks the passage from one social or religious status to another. We believe only another man can truly call a boy into manhood. Rites of passage and the story of our times by will scott. The following is an extreme example of a magical technique used by desperate men in central thailand. The transition from one culture into another is a painful and disorienting process known as cultural shock. Rites of passage are diverse, and are found throughout many cultures around.
Whether its adolescent circumcision, bar mitzvah, or the japanese coming of age daythe crossing between being a child and an adult is marked in some way. The aim of the study will be to explore how rites of passage for emerging adolescents shape the perception of. The book the rites of passage time after time, nep, starting from his origins. Rites, rituals, and ceremonies 3 rituals in organizations. These cultural rites of passage are investigated within the theoretical framework of the sociology of knowledge and it is argued that this process has significant parallels with research of mary douglas on taboos, victor turner on cultural liminality, leon festinger on cognitive dissonance.
Doc rites of passage across cultures robert st clair. In all societies, however, whether customs prescribe overt displays of grief or restrained behaviour, the issue of death brings into focus certain fundamental cultural values. The rites of passage in all african societies and the world at large feature very. Funeral rites across different cultures responses to death and the rituals and beliefs surrounding it tend to vary widely across the world. Rite of passage is often associated with the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Rites of passage 2 in our text it states, ceremonies such as christenings, puberty rituals, marriages, and funerals, which we hold whenever a member of society undergoes an important change in status within the lifecycle of the group are considered rites of passage crapo, r 20. A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. The rites of passage framework as a matrix of transgression processes in the life course article pdf available in journal of adult development 254 january 2018 with 875 reads.