Shan boy undergoing Poy Sang Long initiation

A rite of passage is a ritual that marks a change in a person's social or sexual status. The Poy Sang Long ( Shan: "Festival the Crystal Sons" is a Rite of passage Ceremony among the Shan peoples in Myanmar A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions In Sociology or Anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in Society (one's Social position) Rites of passage are often ceremonies surrounding events such as childbirth, menarche or other milestones within puberty, coming of age, marriage, weddings, and death. A ceremony is an activity infused with Ritual significance performed on a special occasion Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a Human Pregnancy or Menarche (American English məˈnɑrki British English mɛˈnɑːki is the first menstrual period, or first menstrual bleeding in the females of Human beings Coming of age is a young person's transition from Adolescence to Adulthood The age at which this transition takes place varies in society as does the nature NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** A wedding is the Ceremony in which two people are united in Marriage. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Initiation ceremonies such as baptism, confirmation and bar or bat mitzvahs are considered important rites of passages. In the last centuries Western society has seen a steady decline in the usage of and potential benefits rising from male rites of passage.

History of term

Theories were developed in the 1960s by Mary Douglas and Victor Turner. Dame Mary Douglas, DBE, FBA ( 25 March 1921 &ndash 16 May 2007) was a British Anthropologist, known for Victor Witter Turner ( May 28, 1920 – December 18, 1983) was a cultural Anthropologist best known for his work on symbols rituals Joseph Campbell's 1949 text, The Hero with a Thousand Faces and his theory of the journey of the hero were also influenced by van Gennep. Joseph John Campbell ( March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American Mythology Professor, Writer The Hero with a Thousand Faces (first published in 1949 is a non-fiction book and seminal work of Comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell

According to Arnold Van Gennep, rites of passage have three phases: separation, liminality, and incorporation. Liminality (from the Latin In the first phase, people withdraw from the group and begin moving from one place or status to another. In the third phase, they reenter society, having completed the rite. The liminal phase is the period between states, during which people have left one place or state but haven't yet entered or joined the next.

Types and examples

Rites of passage are diverse, and are often not recognized as such in the culture in which they occur. Many society rituals may look like rites of passage but miss some of the important structural and functional components. Typically the missing piece is the societal recognition and reincorporation phase. Adventure Education programs, such as Outward Bound, have often been described as potential rites of passage. Pamela Cushing researched the rites of passage impact upon adolescent youth at the Canadian Outward Bound School and found the rite of passage impact was lessened by the missing reincorporation phase (Cushing, 1998). Bell (2003) presented more evidence of this lacking third stage and described the "Contemporary Adventure Model of a Rites of Passage" as a modern and weaker version of the rites of passage typically used by outdoor adventure programs.

Several organizations, such as Boys to Men Mentoring Network and Rite of Passage Journeys in Bothell, Washington, provide nature based initiatory experiences that do include the incorporation phase. At the end of Rite of Passage Journeys' Coming-of-Age trips, parents arrive to work with their children for the final weekend of the experience, so that changes that occurred on the trip can be supported when the youth returns to his or her home environment.

Some other examples of rites of passages in contemporary society are given in the following subsections.

Coming of age rites

• Adolescent circumcision
• Bar Mitzvah
• Breeching
• Debutante ball
• Dokimasia
• First haircut
• Gempuku among the samurai
• Graduation
• Obtaining a Driver's License
• Poy Sang Long
• Prom
• Quinceañera
• Russ in Norway
• Scarification and various other physical endurances
• Schoolies week in Australia
• Sevapuneru or Turmeric ceremony in South India to mark menarche

In various tribal societies, entry into an age grade – generally gender-separated – (unlike an age set) is marked by an initiation rite, which may be the crowning of a long and complex preparation, sometimes in retreat. Male circumcision is the removal of some or all of the Foreskin (prepuce from the Penis. In Judaism, Bar Mitzvah ( Hebrew: בר מצוה "one (m to whom the commandments apply" Bat Mitzvah (בת מצוה "one (f Breeching was the occasion when a small boy was first dressed in Breeches or trousers A debutante ( deb or presentation ball (from the French débutante, "female beginner" is a young lady from an aristocratic or In Classical Greece, Dokimasia (Greek δοκιμασία was the name used at Athens to denote the process of ascertaining the capacity of the Citizens The first Haircut for a human has special significance in certain cultures and religions also called, was a historical Japanese Coming-of-age ceremony is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an Academic degree or the associated ceremony A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a The Poy Sang Long ( Shan: "Festival the Crystal Sons" is a Rite of passage Ceremony among the Shan peoples in Myanmar The Quinceañera or Quince años is in some Spanish -speaking regions of the Americas, a young woman's celebration of her fifteenth birthday This article is about Russ the Scandinavian cultural phenomenon Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Scarifying involves scratching etching or some sort of superficial cutting or incision Schoolies or Schoolies week (known as Leavers' or Leavers' week in Western Australia) refers to the Australian tradition of high-school For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In Sociology and Anthropology, an age grade or age class is a Social category based on age within a series of such categories through which In Anthropology, an age set is a Social category or corporate Social group, consisting of people of similar age who have a common identity maintain close

Christ underwent the Jewish circumcision, here depicted on a Catholic cathedral; a liturgical feast commemorates this on New Year's Day

Religious initiation rites

• Baptism
• First Eucharist and First Confession (especially First Communion in Catholicism)
• Confirmation
• Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah in Judaism
• Circumcision, mainly in Judaism (Bris) and Islam
• Saṃskāra a series of Sacraments in Hinduism. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The confession of one's Sins is a religious practice important to many faiths e The First Communion (First Holy Communion is a Roman Catholic ceremony As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for In Judaism, Bar Mitzvah ( Hebrew: בר מצוה "one (m to whom the commandments apply" Bat Mitzvah (בת מצוה "one (f In Judaism, Bar Mitzvah ( Hebrew: בר מצוה "one (m to whom the commandments apply" Bat Mitzvah (בת מצוה "one (f Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Male circumcision is the removal of some or all of the Foreskin (prepuce from the Penis. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions Samskaram ( Sanskrit saṃskāraṃ "accomplishment embellishment consecration" Hindi Sanskar) are Vedic Rites of passage finding Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent.
• Shinbyu in Theravada Buddhism
• Rumspringa among the Amish
• Vision quest in some Native American cultures

Other initiation rites

• Secular coming of age ceremonies for non-religious youngsters who want a rite of passage comparable to the religious rituals like Confirmation
• Conscription, "making boys into men" (i. Shinbyu ( ʃìnbjṵ is the Burmese term for a novitiation ceremony in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Rumspringa (also Rumschpringe or Rumshpringa, derived from the Deitsch term for "running around" The Amish (ˈɑːmɪʃ are members of an Anabaptist Christian denomination best known for Simple living, Plain dress and resisting modern conveniences A vision quest is a Rite of passage in some Native American cultures. Secular coming of age ceremonies, sometimes called "civil confirmations" are ceremonies arranged by organisations that are Secular, i Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority e. warriors) through military service is rather a life phase than a mere rite
• Walkabout
• Masonic rituals
• Batizados in Capoeira. Walkabout is an Australian term referring to the commonly-held belief that Australian Aborigines would "go walkabout" at the age of thirteen in the wilderness Capoeira (kapuˈejɾɐ is a brazilian art form that ritualizes movement from Martial arts, Games, and Dance.

Armed forces rites

• U.S. Marine Crucible
• U.S. Navy: Battle Stations
• Naval (military and civilian) crossing the equator
• In the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy, wetting-down is a ceremony in which a Naval officer is ceremonially thrown into the ocean upon receiving a promotion. The United States Marine Corps Crucible is the final test in phase three of Marine Corps recruit training. General Quarters is an announcement made aboard a naval Warship to signal the crew to prepare for battle The ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation Rite in the Royal Navy, U The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) For the christening of fire engines see Wetdown. Wetting-down is a raucous ceremony observed in the U
• U.S. Army Victory Forge
• In many military organizations, as in civilian groups, new conscripts are sometimes subjected by "veterans" to practical jokes, ranging from taking advantage of their naïveté to public humiliation and physical attacks; see Hazing. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Hazing is an often Ritualistic test and a task which may constitute Harassment, Abuse or Humiliation with requirements to perform random often
• Soldiers and sailors may also be hazed again on obtaining a promotion. Hazing is an often Ritualistic test and a task which may constitute Harassment, Abuse or Humiliation with requirements to perform random often
• In Greece conscription is mandatory and has been historically linked with maturing of a man. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The army was historically perceived as the "natural" way to go and as a final 'school' of socialization and maturing for young men before their comeout to the real world; also it would be the first time a young man would find himself on his own and away from home. Consequently, draft dodgers or men unable to serve encountered prejudice, were often frowned upon and deemed useless by conservative societies

Academic Groups

Academic circles such as dorms, fraternities, teams and other clubs practice

• hazing
• ragging
• fagging

Entrance into Medicine and Pharmacy (University) :

• White Coat Ceremony
• In Spanish universities of the Modern Age, like Universidad Complutense in Alcalá de Henares, upon completion of his studies, the student was submitted to a public questioning by the faculty, who could ask sympathetic questions that let him excel or tricky points. Hazing is an often Ritualistic test and a task which may constitute Harassment, Abuse or Humiliation with requirements to perform random often Rag (student society Ragging is a form of abuse on newcomers to educational institutions in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and in many other countries Fagging was the system in schools and particularly English public schools, whereby younger pupils acted as servants to the older boys The white coat ceremony ( WCC) is a relatively new Ritual in some Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, veterinary medical, Physical The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also modern times) is the period of history that followed the Middle Ages between c Alcalá de Henares, meaning Castle on the river Henares, is a Spanish city whose historical centre is one of UNESCO 's World Heritage If the student passed he invited professors and mates to a party. If not, he was publicly processioned with donkey ears. Public humiliation was often used by local communities to punish minor and petty criminals before the age of large modern Prisons (imprisonment was long unusual as a punishment

References

Bell, B. J. (2003). "The rites of passage and outdoor education: Critical concerns for effective programming. " The Journal of Experiential Education, 26, 1, pp. 41-50.

Cushing, P. J. (1998). "Competing the cycle of transformation: Lessons from the rites of passage model. " Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Experiential Education, 9,5,7-12.

See also

• Pilgrimage

External links

• Encyclopaideia A list of male rites of passage
• Puellarium A list of female rites of passage
• Rites of Passage (kcet. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance org)
• The Rite Journey Rediscovering rites of passage in schools

Ethnographic examples:

• Pictures of scarification in Africa - Features by Jean-Michel Clajot, Belgian photographer
• A list of rites of passage and similar rituals Various ethnographic examples
• Rites of passage of Baka Pygmies Pygmies initiation, with haircut and other rituals

Religious examples:

• Rites of PassageA brief explanation of the Wiccan Rites of Passage.