This story is limited in scope and challenged to see that all things are related. His academic upbringing is notable. As an observer of life and language through segregated disciplines he was oriented to see the world organized into distinct structures. Among these included differentiation between the sacred and profane archetypal good vs. He knew that putting the separate components back into a complete, cohesive story was crucial.
He distinguished three major phases, which he labeled: separation, transition, liminality and incorporation. And, so while rites of passage had been going on for millennia, the story of why rites of passage exist was born.
Community-oriented rite of passage has twenty elements that can be creatively integrated to reflect the culture and natural rhythms of a setting — place. Nowadays the term is in common use, since it represents a reality deeply ingrained in the human mind. Rites of passage foster a sense of renewal, since they mark the beginning of a new phase in our lives. They remind us that we are constantly evolving and that life is a transformative journey.
On the other hand, they also provide a sense of belonging, since a rite of passage is always performed by and for a community. Ceremonies that function as rites of passage connect us with our own past selves, but also with the past of our forebears. These ceremonies tend to be highly ritualized and are passed from one generation to the next, in a flow that evokes the continuity of life, and reminds us of our place in the great scheme of things. When we take part in a rite of passage we find ourselves in a sacred space.
The three-phase pattern that van Gennep observed in traditional rites of passage began when a child exhibited signs that they were ready to come of age. These signals included the onset of menstruation, puberty, changes in behavior and psychology, and other social indicators.
The children, called initiates, were typically secluded from the rest of the tribe, village, or community — the separation phase. They were taken to a special or sacred setting and placed in the charge of community elders, who engaged them at a deep emotional level. Transition is an intermediate position, not wholly one thing or another, a place of uncertainty and discomfort.
It is the phase where lessons are learned and the seeds for a change are planted in the individual. In this heightened emotional state, the children were more attentive, receptive, and able to retain lessons in the essential values and ethics of the culture that inform and guide expectations for behavior. As part of the rite of passage experience, children were put through ordeals to test their mettle, which strengthened their commitment to their culture and community.
Through the process, a new personal identity was created. In the final phase of the rite of passage, incorporation, children returned to their village, where they were ceremonially celebrated for beginning their transition to adulthood. The newly initiated incorporated the essential lessons learned and began to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities as healthy adults, able to become contributing members of their village and hence insuring the continuity and continuation of their culture and community.
But in general, in contemporary society, the process of incorporation occurs over time; as young adults gain in maturity, knowledge, and skills, they take on more responsible and productive roles in the community. What would a modern rite of passage look like, one that facilitates the healthy transition of young people through adolescence?
The process includes an experience of navigating through unknown terrain — quite literally. Students are given instruction in how to use a compass and find their way on an orienteering course in the woods. Once they go into the woods, the parent chaperone is not permitted to say anything. The children have to find their way using the lessons learned and practiced immediately before. They could get lost. They could fall or run into brambles and branches. Lessons are learned.
Parents learn of the challenges of letting go — giving children the opportunity to accomplish challenges on their own, even in dangerous situations. Children learn the key attitudes, skills, and experiences that will help them to learn anything. They find that if they employ these skills effectively, they will experience satisfaction, feelings of confidence and competence, have fun, and be successful.
These skills are transferable to anything else they have to learn in the multiple environments they are coming of age within. The celebration of a rite of passage is renewing for the entire community.
What are the key ingredients that helped us to learn how to use the compass to not get lost and be successful at finding our way in the woods? Which of these key ingredients do we need to pay attention to learn well in school? The SWP is one of several tools created to continually foster key connections and a systems thinking orientation. From the large list of ingredients, each student selects five or six items he or she judges to be in need of improvement and designs a plan for taking corrective action.
0コメント