Coming of Age

What is a rite of passage? Marks a time when a person reaches a new and significant change in his/her life (i.e. progress from one role to another, phase of life, or social status) Something that nearly all societies recognize and often hold ceremonies for (although differs culturally) Ceremonies are held to observe a person’s entry into a new stage of life and can be anything from a high school graduation ceremony to a birthday party or funeral. Most rites help people understand their new roles in society and help others learn how to treat people in new ways after they successfully go through the rite of passage

Name some rites of passage in Canadian society. GO!

Why have rites of passage? Relieves stress Understand growth Communities unify and become accustomed to changes in life Cultural benefit of passing on traditions, religion and values

Rites of Passage Pictures from around the world document celebrations and rituals surrounding all major life events, birth, coming of age, marriage and death. Evidence of rites of passage date back 40,000 years. Evolutionary biologists claim that species will not maintain behaviors nonessential for their survival. Why then, if not for our survival, have humans maintained rites of passage for thousands of years? The primary purpose of rites of passage is to transmit values and ethics to children that inform and guide expectations for behaviors essential to survival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEWFRn1zImM (4:55)

Adolescence as a Period of Transition Although sexual maturation gives males and females the ability to produce children, many societies do not consider its onset to mean the complete transformation of a child into an adult. The physiological cue that begins the transformation of a child into an adult is usually also accompanied by a social ritual that occurs during the stage known as adolescence. Coming of age rituals happen in most cultures.

Movies that Depict Coming of Age Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Bend it Like Beckham Sixteen Candles The Sandlot Stand by Me Billy Elliott Breakfast Club Boyhood Good Will Hunting Others? Dead Poets’ Society ETC Superbad

Bessoribe Tribe Young men from the Bessoribe tribe in Benin gather to get their skin sliced. This arduous, bloody process is a rite of manhood. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfhot7tQcWs (5:23) Or http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/places/countries- places/benin/benin-scarification-dest/

Initiation By Bullet Ant Sataray Maway tribe- A boy must wear mitts fitted with dozens of carnivorous, stinging insects not just once, but 20 times to be considered a man and a tribal warrior http://www.youtube.com /watch?v=ZGIZ-zUvotM (4:02)

Mescalero Apache In New Mexico, the Mescalero Apache reservation prepares for a coming-of-age ritual. Over the span of four days, young Apache girls will pass through ancient tests of strength, endurance, and character that will make them women. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jgt_mAq0eEM (4:39)

Barriers on the Path to Adulthood This is the first half of a documentary on the Winnemem Wintu 2006 Coming of Age Ceremony. This portion of the documentary shows the difficulties and the level of harassment faced when the Forest Service refuses the request of the Winnemem Wintu to close the river for their ceremony, a right provided for in the Farm Bill and in the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples, which was signed by the United States in 2011. The Winnemem people lived on the Winnemem (McCloud) River for millenia, yet the land was taken -- without compensation -- and flooded to create Shasta Lake. Now the U.S. government says and various agencies refuse to recognize their right to carry out their traditional ceremonies without interference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoNmslmbhU8 (8:37)

Seven Aspects of Coming of Age Ceremonies These seven aspects must be in your notes! (either get them from the textbook or from this slideshow) Symbolic death and rebirth. Initiates ‘dies’ as a child and is reborn as an adult i.e. renaming Isolation of the initiate. Because many cultures believe that the initiate is particularly vulnerable to harm during this transition, isolation is a way to protect as well as for the community to have time to adjust to the initiate’s new identity. Physical changes. Tattoos, scars, piercings; often visible signs are more important for boys than for girls , as menarche is a concrete event that lets a girl know that she has become a woman Cleansing. Often initiates are ritually cleansed as they enter or leave seclusion to prepare them for receiving their new identity (i.e. Mescalero Apache girls must swim across the sacred river

Seven Aspects of Coming of Age Ceremonies…con’t 5. Tests of endurance, bravery or competence. Of greater importance with boys; proves that initiate is ready for the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood 6. Teaching and Learning Teachings by elders are common; some lessons are secrets known only to adults; while some lessons are just information that they need to know to function as adults; often these lessons help the initiates to establish a kinship with their instructors (or in the case of group initiation, with their peers as well) 7. Community and Sharing of Food Often the broader community witnesses this ceremonies to help the entire society to adjust; celebrations following the ceremonies usually involve breaking bread together

Turner’s Three Stages (of Rites of Passage) Turner postulated that there are three basic phases that correspond to the basic nature of rites of passage: Separation- from former status in society; change from what you were; this often involves being stripped of all possessions and painted/dressed/covered with no sense of individuality (i.e.. birth (marked by naming), death (marked by funeral)) Liminality - aka transition period during which they are ‘betixt and between’ normal statuses and social categories; removed from society temporarily; here they learn appropriate behavior for new stage of life the will enter soon (i.e. marriage); people learn and grow in preparation Incorporation- accepted back into society as new person with new rights and obligations; formal admittance into new group (i.e. marriage)

What are some rites of passage typical of developed societies? Births, graduations, marriages, deaths are often marked by social ceremonies including baptisms, betrothals, promotions, birthdays, funerals etc Basic 5 most significant periods typical of rites of passage: birth, leaving childhood and becoming an adolescent, leaving home, weddings and death/funerals (usually marked by elaborate ceremonies/traditions unique to various cultures) One of the most interesting rites is entering the military service where basic training is the liminality period. Once training is complete, recruits are incorporated into a new group, the military and acquire a new status (rank and job).

Your Task: You will be completing an assignment on different Coming of Age Rituals. This is a group assignment. See the assignment sheet for details.