Rites of Passage

Religion and Culture ANTH 2301 Rites of Passage Rites of passage, which were first recognised by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in 1909, denote social shifts in individuals' lives and create a shift in social standing within their communities. major rituals, which are most frequently connected to birth, puberty, marriage, and death, can be drawn out ceremonies in which the participant is instructed and prepared for major life transitions. Three phases comprise a rite of passage, according to Gennep: separation, transition, and incorporation. In the transition stage, the person has to cross a threshold (limen in Latin) to move from their previous social position or status to a new one. 1. Divorce (preliminary). Detachment from one's prior status is a defining characteristic of the separation phase. Even if the individual or persons involved may be kept apart physically and in a designated location, the separation usually takes place gradually over time and is always indicated metaphorically. The process of catechesis, or formal religious instruction, for young people planning to be baptised or confirmed in a Christian church, the wearing of special clothing or colours while mourning the death of a family member, and the official engagement of a couple with rings and a period of preparation for the upcoming marriage are some examples of separation. 2. Liminality (transition). The transition phase is linked to instruction and teaching and is characterised by a state of status uncertainty. This stage is often limited to the time frame during which a public, active ritual change is occurring. The individual or individuals in question have assumed a new status after already separating from their former identity and position. A rite of passage's most active stage is this one. It is quite regimented and nearly invariably involves mentors, tutors, or advisors who help the person take the right measures to achieve a new social standing. The real marriage ceremony, the church's baptism or confirmation ceremony, and a loved one's burial service are a few instances of transition. 3. Post-limen incorporation. A formal public presentation of the individual or people who have completed the ritual marks the incorporation step. Different symbols are employed during incorporation to convey a new identity and social standing. Those undergoing the transition start to take on the obligations, rights, and perks of their new social standing in this last stage. This might entail them adopting a new name, relocating, or dressing differently. This is a prolonged time that might run from months to years in many rites of passage. Victor Turner, an anthropologist, goes into great depth about the importance of liminality in rites of passage in 1969. A person in liminality is what Turner refers to as being "betwixt and between" (95), meaning that they are not part of the system, have no social standing, and are changing from one social stage to another. It's a type of death in society. The person will frequently wear unmarked, uniformed apparel and exhibit culturally acceptable modesty and anonymitypromoting behaviours. During the change of status, complete obedience is also expected, as the person looks to ritual leaders, or gatekeepers, to guide, coach, and mentor them through the transition. When a group of people are involved in a rite of passage, like a grade going through puberty, they form a strong sense of social connectedness and equality among themselves, which is known as communitas. Anthropologists were able to comprehend these universal dynamics of societal transformation with more clarity because to Turner's studies on the Ndembu of Zambia. The Kinaaldá is one rite of passage used by the Navajo people in the southwest region of the United States. Shortly after a girl's first menstrual cycle, her extended family and community participate in the Kinaaldá, a traditional coming-of-age ritual (a puberty rite) for young Navajo women (Carey 2010; Meza 2019). The four-day ritual usually takes place in a traditional Navajo home known as a hogan, as well as outside where the girl would sporadically run to ensure she has a robust and healthy life. The girl lies down at the start of the ritual, as separation commences, and her family helps to clothe her, straighten her limbs, and get her ready for the change. In the days of seclusion, the girl is ushered into womanhood through a variety of chores. She will prepare an alkaan, a type of maize cake, with her mother on the third day. After that, under the direction of a Navajo medicine man or woman, they will sing prayer songs all night long until dawn. In the last phase of the Kinaaldá, the mother washes and uses cornmeal to dry her daughter's hair on the fourth day's dawn (corn is a Navajo deity). Then, with a large number of little children trailing behind her, the young woman will make her final dash towards the east in the hopes that she will one day grow up to be a devoted mother who her kids will always look up to. She is reintroduced to her community following the ritual, this time as a lady rather than a kid; she is now regarded as a young adult. Not every rite of passage has a religious component. Secular rites of passage also exist, such graduation and quinceañeras, which are celebrations of a girl's 15th birthday in many Latin American cultures. Additionally, there are instances where religious and secular elements are combined, such as in a civil and religious marriage ceremony. Societies celebrate transitions in their members' lives through religious and secular rites of passage.