Rites of Passage
Rites of Passage & Coming of Age * Drivers licence * Purchasing a house * Turning 18> legal, vote, drink, cigarettes * Legal opportunities> tenancy~ Motel Room * Marriage * Baby * Tattoos * Graduation from school * Graduating from university * Leaving home * What about guys? * First shave
Rites of passage * Rite of passage is the term used to refer to ceremonies acknowledged by a society that marks the transition from one level of status in society to another. * Unlike traditional societies, contemporary westernised societies have changed many of the rites of passage associated with the transition from one life cycle to another. * In traditional societies, rites of passage often involve ceremonial acknowledgement of physical change. * For girls, the change from child to adult occurs after menstruation * For boys, the change from child to adult occurs after puberty. * In Western societies, distinct rites of passage have altered from time from involving the whole community to being more personal.
Status Ambiguity * Adolescence can be seen as a period in life where a person has no clearly defined status in society. * An adolescent person is neither a child nor an adult, but somewhere in between. No one is quite sure what is expected of the person.
Three stages of rites of passage * Separation
Where you are removed from society * Transition
Where your status is unclear * Reincorporation
Where you are accepted back into society with a new status
Example 1 * Boys in traditional Tiwi life in northern Australia were often separated from their tribe for up to ten years as they gathered the required knowledge and experience to participate in society as men.
Example 2 * Modern Australia has seen the development of “schoolies week”. Since the late 80s, the Gold Coast has been marketed as the ideal destination for students to visit and celebrates completing the
Rites of passage * Rite of passage is the term used to refer to ceremonies acknowledged by a society that marks the transition from one level of status in society to another. * Unlike traditional societies, contemporary westernised societies have changed many of the rites of passage associated with the transition from one life cycle to another. * In traditional societies, rites of passage often involve ceremonial acknowledgement of physical change. * For girls, the change from child to adult occurs after menstruation * For boys, the change from child to adult occurs after puberty. * In Western societies, distinct rites of passage have altered from time from involving the whole community to being more personal.
Status Ambiguity * Adolescence can be seen as a period in life where a person has no clearly defined status in society. * An adolescent person is neither a child nor an adult, but somewhere in between. No one is quite sure what is expected of the person.
Three stages of rites of passage * Separation
Where you are removed from society * Transition
Where your status is unclear * Reincorporation
Where you are accepted back into society with a new status
Example 1 * Boys in traditional Tiwi life in northern Australia were often separated from their tribe for up to ten years as they gathered the required knowledge and experience to participate in society as men.
Example 2 * Modern Australia has seen the development of “schoolies week”. Since the late 80s, the Gold Coast has been marketed as the ideal destination for students to visit and celebrates completing the