Incited by my recent readings of Iron John by Robert Bly, and some discussion from the other day. I thought it might be interesting to make a post about different rites of passage from around the world.
First I'd like to briefly explain what Bly discusses as the three aspects of a male's rite of passage
Separation: During this phase an initiate is separated in some way from his former life. In modern example, when a man has just enlisted in the military, he is sent away to boot camp. His former possessions are put aside, his head is shaved, and he is given a uniform to wear. During the separation phase, part of the old self is extinguished as the initiate prepares to create a new identity.
Transition: During this phase, the initiate is between worlds-no longer part of his old life but not yet fully inducted into his new one. He is taught the knowledge needed to become a full-fledged member of that group. And he is called upon to pass tests that show he is ready for the leap. In tribal societies, the elders would impart to the initiate what it meant to be a man and how the boy was to conduct himself once he had become one. The initiate would then participate in ritual ceremonies which often involved pain and endurance. In the case of the new soldier, he is yelled at, prodded, exercised, and disciplined to prepare him to receive a rank and title.
Re-incorporation. In this phase, the initiate, having passed the tests necessary and proving himself worthy, is re-introduced into his community, which recognizes and honors his new status within the group. For tribal societies, this meant a village-wide feast and celebration. The boy would now be recognized by all tribe members as a man and allowed to participate in the activities and responsibilities that status conferred. For the soldier, his boot camp experience would come to an end and both his superiors and his family would join in a ceremony to recognize his new status as a full-fledged member of the military.
During all phases of the process, the men who have gone through the ritual themselves guide the young initiate on his journey. By controlling the rite of passage, the men decide when a boy becomes a man.
As we discussed the other day, this is normal in most cultures, however the men in our country grow without this passage being enacted by anyone unless he engages in something like the military. So I thought it might interesting in subsequent comments to discuss different rituals from the world-over.
The three phases you discuss are actually developed by Van Gennep, an early sociologist/anthropologist.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you so certain men in our culture don't have a rite of passage outside the military? That seems to reflect a rather antiquated view of masculinity.
It should also be noted that the formal rites of passage you refer to were the strongest in simple societies. In those cultures there were narrow roles for men to perform. In a modern complex society the role of a man is far more ambiguous. Ambiguity is not necessarily bad; it enables greater variation in conceptions of masculinity. This is necessary if society is going to fill an increasing number of specialized roles.
I understand that the three stages are nothing new, and thank you for pointing me toward the originator of those stages, Van Gennep. My interest in this topic lies in the fact that men in western society are becoming increasingly marginalized.
ReplyDeleteA few aspects of this are pointed out in the new Atlantic monthly http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/
I'm not saying the rise in feminism or women in the work place is a bad or malicious aspect, in fact I think the Women's movement has been highly beneficial to society and continues to be. My interest lies in the fact that the definition of modern masculinity, I think, is hazy. Men are being pushed out because they can't figure out what role they are to play. As far as using the military as an example, yes, it does antiquate the idea of what being a man is. My only point in using it as an example is that it does take a recruit, separates them from society, essentially "breaks" them of their learned reactions, teaches them how they should react, and then upon completion of the training, reincorporates the recruit as soldier back into society. It is also true that these rites of passage are common to as you put it "simple societies," in which even in pre-industrial western culture the scope of what the young man becomes is limited, usually the name role or job as his father.
I too think ambiguity can be good, but it can also be detrimental. The definition is hazy or as you might say ambiguous, too much ambiguity can lead to to misconception and an inability to understand. What happens to the fringes, young men without a personal drive or direction? I believe the lack of direction is only growing for young men. The strong burly, cowboy-esque figure, or the woodsman are obviously things of the past and are obsolete in our modern society. The general emotionless, quiet yet confidant, stoic patriarch, which serves as role model or at least example for many young men in our society is a dead end.
Modern man I believe is trapped, our genetic evolution does not prepare us for a world that requires thought, empathy, discussion. I point out the older stories and rites of primitive cultures because it used to be that the onus of preparing young men for their role in society fell upon the older men of that society. Upon going through the ceremony, which I should point out also existed for women in many of those societies, the young adolescent became accepted as an adult. Today, we have no such clear threshold, and our "rites" are randomly scattered throughout the mid-teen years. Getting a driver's license, entering college, turning 21 are all social rites.
But the entrance to this most turbulent period of our lives is vague, and veiled in folktales and low expectations. To further complicate matters, the period of adolescence has probably doubled in length since G. Stanley Hall first identified it, our children mature younger and younger and take longer and longer to prepare for fully engaged membership in the adult community. So my question is simply, how can we redefine the doorway so that the circle of adolescence is complete? I believe there's a bit of truth, and quite a bit of understanding in the old tales as well as the rites of passage in other cultures. Obviously, taking a group of young men out into the wild, starving them, leaving them with some mark of mutilation, does little to incorporate a young man into our modern society, however, that journey does give an actual point of completion and beginning. Without this "threshold," I believe many men wonder around lost, unable to define themselves, and thus, incapable of being a "productive member of society."