1. What is culture? How does culture shape identity?
Culture and Identity
What is culture?
How does culture shape identity?

2. What is culture?
Culture is a system of values and beliefs that all societies produce and teach.
It is comprised of elements, including:
Language
Art
Rituals
Roles
Economic and political structures
history

3. What does this graphic illustration say about culture?

4. Identity Identity = our sense of self and place in our social world
Physical appearance
Ideas of gender
Social status
Role in society
Values
Beliefs

5. Culture and Identity
Our identity is our beliefs about our self and others, which is influenced by our culture
Because these cultural beliefs are shared by a great majority, we often think of these as “truths”.
What are our some of our own cultural assumptions?
How can we become aware of these

7. Rite of Passage

8. Introductory Questions
How do different cultures mark the changes in the cycle of life?
What ceremonies have helped you move from one stage of your life to the next?
What is ritual and why is it important to cultures?
When did you become a ‘teen’? How was this occasion marked? How is such a ceremony important?

9. Rite of Passage
Ceremonies that mark a person’s transition from one role, phase in life or social status, to another
Usually mark significant life changes: birth, puberty, marriage and death
The change is marked by a transitional period, usually involving specific rituals – symbolic activities

10. Stages of Rites of Passage
Rites of Passage usually involve 3 stages:
Separation – removal of individual from society (often includes isolat
Transition
Incorporation & Reintegration

11. Stage 1: Separation
The individual is temporarily removed from society (often just symbolic)
Some rituals involve cutting (rope or ties) or breaking something
Example: Graduation – the graduates are removed and sit apart from their families and teachers
Example: Wedding – bride and groom are separated before wedding and isolated from eachother

12. Stage 2: Liminal / Transition Stage
Initiate is in the state of transition between the old and the new
Individual is temporarily isolated for a period of time
Usually normal social contact is suspended
Often involves some symbolic journey – walking from one place to another
Example: Graduation – graduates walk across a stage or platform – rep. transition from student to graduate
Example: Wedding – Bride walks down isle towards groom – sometimes bride and groom walk together in a circle or towards eachother

13. Stage 3: Incorporation
Readmission into society in the newly with public recognition of new social status
Usually involves some symbolic joining of things together or receiving some token
Example: Graduation: Graduates receive a certificate
Example Wedding: Bride and Groom are joined through placing a ring on each others fingers

14. Purpose
Rites of passage provide society with a way to acknowledge and inform the community about changes in social status of individuals
With change in social status comes change in expectations for behaviour
Example: Graduates – you will be useful and productive (get a job)
Example: Bride and groom – sexual fidelity

15. Examples of Rites of Passage
Birth ceremonies (baptism, naming, showers)
Birthdays
Graduation
Wedding
Death

16. Coming-of-Age Ceremonies
Rites of passage that mark our transition from childhood to youth to adulthood
These can be formal or informal, public or private, pleasant or painful
They help us to become functioning adults

17. Examples Informal: Acquiring drivers license
16th / 18th / 19th birthday
Dating (we remove ourselves from friends)
Formal
Bar / Bat Mitzvah
First Communion
Confirmation
Vision Quest