Rite of Passage
Name
Institution
Abstract
This paper focuses on the rite of passage in communities. It displays the rite of passage as an event when an individual gets into another group. The ceremonies carried out differ from one culture to another. The paper discusses the three main stages of rite of passage. They include separation, liminality, and corporation. A separation is displayed as moving from one stage entering into another stage of rite of passage. Liminality is represented as the time period found between these stages. For a corporation, it involved participants getting into rituals based on their communities.
Also, the paper discusses the psychological effects of these rites of passage. For instance, giving out pf rewards to the participants results in a stronger connection. The types of rites of passage are discussed to occur differently in communities. Lastly, the paper discusses the importance of this rite of passage to participants and the community as a whole.
Keywords: Rite of passage, Community, Separation, Liminality, Corporation.
Introduction
Rite of passage is defined as the passage ceremony, which takes place when a person leaves a group to enter another. It encompasses important alterations made in the status of society. These events can be puberty, marriage, or any other momentous milestone. Rites of passage differ from one culture to another. Each passage contains its own conditions varying according to the family or the culture. In that, each culture contains its special way of celebrating these passages. Moreover, anything can be used as a passage, for instance, a spirituality like a mission, passing high school, among many more.
Stages
According to Arnold van Gennep, rites of passage encompasses three main phases. They include separation, liminality, and corporation. In the separation phase, individuals are withdrawn from their current status and prepare to change from one area to another. It encompasses symbolic behavior, which indicates a particular group’s detachment from an earlier fixed point in the social structure (Jacinto’s, 2016). For instance, a stage of cutting the hair for an individual who has just joined an army. Therefore, the cutting hair of this person gives this person a new self of the person.
The second stage encompasses the moment one has left a particular area but has not yet entered another stage. It is the period found between two stages, and mostly it is referred to as the transition stage. During this liminal stage, a person’s sense of identity dissolves to some extent (Wu et al., 2020). The attributes found in this stage are considered to be ambiguous. In the third phase, the passage is effectuated as of the ritual subject. Completion of this stage is identified with a new identity. This person enters into society with a completely new status. Elaborate rituals and ceremonies feature the corporation. They include debutant balls and college graduation. It encompasses outside symbols representing new ties. As a result, the corporation’s stage has a widespread usage of the sacred bond, sacred knot, among many more.
Psychological effect
Severe initiations result in cognitive dissonance according to laboratory experiments. It heightens group attraction among the individuals initiated. Achievement of that is through the arising internal justification, which is found from the effort used. Rewards given during initiations have a significant consequence on the participant. They feel more recognized, resulting in having a stronger connection to the group identity. Through this, the participants can produce more conformity among the new members. As a result, initiations have been displayed to increase feelings of affiliation.
Culture
Rite of passage is displayed as fundamental to human development. These rites function through ritual marking of the transition of a person into a complete group membership. It connects these people to the community and community to a wider and more potent spiritual globe. These rites of passage are natural and an essential part of practice in the community. They are categorized into five main phases. They begin with rite to birth, rite adulthood, rite to marriage, rite to eldership, and lastly, rite to enter ancestorship.
Types and Examples
Rites of passage exist in different forms throughout a variety of cultures around the globe. In a variety of African-American communities, the traditional rite of passage programs is led by community-based companies. For instance, Man Up Global. Adventure of the education programs has been frequently discussed as the potential rites of passage. These rites of passage include coming of age, which encompasses entry into the age-grade. It’s where gender-separation takes place, and the marking of this rite of passage is through initiation. Also, practice in the professional field where, for instance, the doctor’s participant in the white coat ceremony. A student becomes a pilot once he or she has complete a first solo flight. In traditional society, the students get drenched with water with his shirttail cut off.
Importance of Rite of Passage
Rite of passage takes place on getting accepted into society through showing or providing or doing something. They enable individuals to learn their new role in society, which marks a person’s life-changing complete self. People, in this case, turn into something that belongs in a particular part of society. They help people to make a connection with their past. Achievement of that is through the events that function as the rite of passage link the participants to their past selves. These events are displayed to being greatly ritualized and passed from one generation to another, in a flow showing continuity of life. Therefore, it reminds the people of their place in the wide outlook of particular things in life.
Additionally, the rite of passage places people in a sacred space. When a person is taking part in a rite of passage, it is believed that they find themselves in a sacred place at the end of it. The people are responsible for following the rules and rituals concerning the dressing code, place, and event time. It displays an exception in a person’s life since it is believed that sacred places are very scarce in our secure world. The people in this culture are responsible for making sense of sacred places to feel more attuned. Participants of the rite of passage can make sense of the change. As a result, it helps people to gain a deeper awareness concerning the transition going through their lives.
References
Jacinto’s, F. E. (2016). Rite of Passage. The Manila Times, 17.
Wu, S., Li, Y., Wood, E. H., Senaux, B., & Dai, G. (2020). Liminality and festivals—Insights from the East. Annals of Tourism Research, 80, 102810.