Author: John Baker (---.strykercorp.com)
Date: 10-26-2001 06:01
Great article, Hilary. I just felt that there were a couple more rites of passage that I had to add.
Although America is typically seen as a place that shuns tradition and ritual, there are a number of rites of passage in America that span across religious borders and are truly part of American culture.
The first, famous example of the female rite of passage is the "sweet sixteen" party. This goes far back to all sorts of other rites of puberty, signaling the time that the girl becomes a woman. True, the full-fledged "sweet sixteen" is fading with time, since both societal and biological pressures have moved a bunch of milestones from the age of sixteen--menarche occurs sooner, now, and eligibility for marriage occurs later. Heck, this very fact that menarche now occurs in girls around 12 might be part of the reason that there's a separation between sex and procreation in the modern Western world; a menstrual woman is expected to spend years before even thinking about having children.
Many other rites of passage for Americans revolve around graduations. The pomp and circumstance that surrounds these events, the embracing of the individuals into the working world, and the presentation of proof of the knowledge and capability of the individuals involved are all powerful symbols of the passage of the graduates into the adult world. After all, where else is there a point where before, you are unwelcome in many affairs of adults, and after you are welcome?
At the DMV, of course. In general, the most unsung rite of passage, yet still the most important and valuable one in being welcomed into the world of adults, is getting your driver's license. Although in large, compact cities with excellent public transportation, you can get by without a driver's license, in most of America, the ability to drive means the ability to survive on one's own. This is a cardinal difference between children and adults. Children require the help of others to take care of their needs, but adults can take care of their needs on their own. Getting one's driver's license means that self-sufficiency is now possible. It's arguably more important than any other age-based, law-based rite, such as being able to drink legally. Finally, this is one of the few rites of passage that is gender neutral; male or female, you're expected to be able to drive.
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