Highschool

 

Topic: Rites of Passage

Source:  Cultural ANTHRO. Chapter 7

Relation: In this chapter of ANTHRO the author brings up how High school students not only self identify but also how they identify others around them. This sort of grouping by others is considered to be a rite of passage into adulthood.

Description: Remember that day, 9^th grade, you stood with shaking knees at the sight of this huge high school campus. The upperclassmen standing out front of the campus, cat calling to the “new meat” (Freshman).  After you got over the initial fear of getting ripped to pieces you started to self identify who you were (or at least attempted to). The majority of the time however you would be classified into groups biased off of what others said. In Robbins he lists the major groups of cliques that normally exist on campus: Preps, Jocks, Rockers, Nerds, Punks, and “G’s”. No matter who you hung out with your group would comprise of who you were most comfortable around, meaning who you identified best with. So not only did other people classify you, you almost always agreed with the classification in order to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

Analysis: Four years of hell is what most people call high school. Others even call it a rite of passage. It is the first time that you can be actively judged by people who (for whatever reason) you want to please. Yet, as soon as you move on to the “real world” you set of values on classifications change. For the majority of us these values change to “keeping up with the Joneses”.  The cliques evolve into who has money, and who doesn’t. So when observing the high school world, it is a rite of passage into the real world.

Husband, Wife, Two Kids, and a Dog

Topic: Ideal Family Forms

Source: The obsession with the “Perfect Family”

Relation: I have been raised by a single mother, and I have encountered firsthand the stigmas associated to a Family that others perceive as not a family  

Description: I was talking with my mother the other day, and she sounded as if she was upset, apparently someone had commented to her that they were surprised that I had “made it” this far, especially considering the family I came from. Unfortunately there is this stigma in existence that because a child doesn’t have a “man” in his life he won’t be able to grow up well-adjusted and is prone to drug abuse. This type of talk from people who consider themselves in the “perfect” family is what causes these stigmas to continue to be spread.

Analysis: I have seen for the longest time people look down upon my mother for choosing to remain unmarried. There is this concept of the Perfect Family being a Husband, Wife, Two Kids, and a Dog. And for some reason this view of a perfect family is the only view of a family that can produce active members for the future generation of a society. I myself find this concept a bit dated considering the number of single moms and dads is on the rise. This change in what is considered an “Ideal” family should allow stigmas regarding children of single parents to die out  

The Passing of the Spyglass

Topic: Rituals

Source: Maritime Traditions

Relation: Maritime Traditions are almost always born of ancient rituals of the sea  

Description: The passing of the Spyglass can be done in many ways; from a whole ceremony between the entire crew, to an old Skipper passing on his most prized possession to the next Captain of the vessel. The passing of the spyglass is one of the most ancient and most important rite of passage among sailors. In times gone by a crew member was considered an officer once they were given their first spyglass. This ceremony has since evolved into a rite of passage, basically saying that this person that they view in front of them is no longer considered a child, but a man, and henceforth treated as an equal among all adults.

Analysis: Inherently many people view a spyglass as an object that should only be viewed, and not touched. However to those of us that have received one. It represents the view that we are now an equal among our elders. With this thought process a ritual is born. Though time and tradition an act that was originally used to signify a sailors candidacy as an officer grows into a rite of passage.