RITES OF PASSAGE by Conrad Phillip Kottak English 1A - Walker
Early in the 20th century, Arnold van Gennep, a Belgian anthropologist, studied rites of passages in a variety of societies. Passage rites, found throughout the world, are exemplified by such phenomena as the vision quests of certain Native American populations in North America. As boys moved from boyhood to socially recognized manhood, they temporarily separated themselves from their communities to journey alone to the wilderness. After a period of isolation, often accompanied by fasting and drug consumption, the young men would see a vision which would become their personal guardian spirit. On return to their communities, they would be regarded as adults.
In contemporary societies, rites of passage include confirmations, baptisms, bar mitzvahs, and fraternity hazing. Passage rites do not refer only to such changes in social status as from boyhood to manhood, or from nonmember to fraternity brother, but apply more generally to any change in place, condition, social position, or age.
Examining data from a variety of societies, van Gennep generalized that all rites of passage have three phrases: separation, margin, and aggregation. Separation is exemplified by the initial detachment of individuals from the group or their initial movement from one place to another; aggregation by their reentry into society after completion of the rite.
More recently, anthropologist Victor Turner has focused on the margin period or condition, the position between states. Van Gennep used the Latin term limen (threshold) to refer to this in-between period, and Turner's designation of it as the liminal phase of a passage rite will be used here.
On the basis of data from several societies, Turner identified generalized attributes of liminality. Liminal individuals occupy ambiguous social positions. They exist apart from ordinary status distinctions and expectations, living in a time out of time. They are cut off from normal social intercourse. Liminal periods are ritually demarcated by a variety of contrasts with regular social life. For example, among the Ndembu of Zambia, whom Turner studied, a newly chosen chief had to undergo a passage rite before taking office. During the liminal period, his past and future positions in society were ignored, even reversed, and he was subjected to a variety of insults, harangues, instructions, and humiliations.
In contrast to the vision quest and the initiation of a Ndembu chief, which are individualistic, passage rites are often collective. A group of people - boys undergoing circumcision, fraternity initiates, recruits attending military boot camps, football players at summer training camps, women becoming nuns - pass through the rites together. Turner lists contrasts or oppositions between liminality and normal social life. Most notable is a social aspect of collective liminality that he calls "communitas." People who experience liminality together characteristically form an egalitarian community; whatever social distinctions have existed before (or will exist afterwards) are temporarily forgotten. Liminal individuals experience the same treatment and conditions and are expected to act alike. Liminality may be marked ritually and symbolically by reversals of ordinary behavior. Sexual taboos may be intensified or, conversely, sexual excess may be encouraged.
Turner also points out that not only is liminality always a temporary part of any passage rite, it may, in certain social contexts, become a permanent attribute of particular groups. This will occur, Turner suggests, in the most socially diverse societies, presumably state-oriented societies and particularly modern nations. Religious sects often use liminal characteristics to set themselves off from the rest of the society. Such requirements as humility, poverty, equality, obedience, sexual abstinence, and silence may be conditions of membership. The ritual aspect of persons, settings, and events may also be communicated through liminal attributes that set them off as extraordinary - outside normal social space and regular time. Thus, Turner focuses on the social functions of rituals. Their role in creating temporary or permanent social solidarity is his main interest.
[Conrad Phillip Kottak (b.1942) is chair of the Anthropology department at the University of Michigan, where he has taught since 1968. The passage reprinted here comes from his college textbook, Cultural Anthropology (1982).]
ENGLISH 1A Summary/Response paper: English 1A: Critical Thinking & Writing Essay #1: Summary Rough draft due: Sep. 13 (2 printed copies brought into class) Final draft due: Sep. 15 (through turnitin.com on blackboard)
In the short excerpt, “Rites of Passage,” Conrad Phillip Kottak himself briefly summarizes theories that sociologist Arnold van Gennep developed almost one hundred years ago. Kottak then goes on to summarize in greater depth Victor Turner’s description of the liminal phase of passage rites. In this essay you will summarize Kottak (and Van Gennep and Turner) as you discuss rites of passage—acknowledged or not—with which you are familiar. Remember that rites of passage can be small and individual, such losing the first baby tooth, or larger and collective, such as moving away from home and living in college dorms. Many other experiences, both physical, mental, and emotional, can be seen to qualify as rites of passage, according to Kottak’s definition.
In a clear, well-organized, well-developed essay of three to four pages (double-spaced), summarize Kottak’s piece, “Rites of Passage,” to create a jumping-off point for a discussion of rites of passage in contemporary America or in another culture you may be very familiar with. Your essay may take the form of a description of rites of passage as they currently occur or are ignored, or your own ideas for what you’d like to see as a rite of passage. Kottak focuses primarily on the group experience in order to discuss the idea of “communitas” during the period of collective liminality, but you can choose to write about either communal or individual passage rites.
Include a works cited page.
Tips for success:
1. Make sure to summarize the main points of Kottak’s article (probably at the beginning of your essay). Be careful to include all the salient points, such as the three stages, and Victor Turner’s discussion of the liminal stage.
2. Refer to the original essay periodically as you write about your own rite of passage. Remember to use the vocabulary Kottak introduces.
3. Always support your statements with examples to illustrate your points. For instance, if you write, “the time period when I had my learner’s permit was my transition,” this statement should be followed by several sentences of examples showing exactly why and how you believe your experience to correspond to Kottak’s explanation of the transitional stage of a rite of passage. You need to provide this much “back-up” every time you make a statement.
If you feel like you’re running into trouble. talk to me about it before the rough draft is due.