Initiation Ceremonies and Rites of Passage

Abstract

The social stage of adolescence is examined from a cultural perspective according to initiations and rites of passage. The first part of the article focuses on these ceremonies as performed within traditional societies. The rites of passage model is articulated according to the three sequences of separation, transition, and incorporation. The functions and desired impacts of these ceremonies are reviewed. Distinctions in the practice of initiations and rites of passage are addressed according to timing and gender. The latter half of the article explores the nature of adolescent initiations and rites of passage in contemporary Western society according to their expression within faith-based, school-based, societal-based, and culturally-based contexts. Adolescent-constructed initiations are examined relative to their problem-based nature which, interestingly, is shown in the corollary of youth interventions based on the rites of passage model. The article concludes with summarizing remarks on the practice of adolescent initiations in the twenty-first century.