An Introduction to the Sociology of Work and Occupations by Rudi R. Volti

Author:Rudi R. Volti [Volti, Rudi R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781483342412
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2011-10-11T00:00:00+00:00

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SOURCE: ©Photodisc Collection/Getty Images.

Rites of Passage

Socialization is usually a long and drawn-out process, but there may be times when the transition to a new status occurs abruptly through a ceremony known as a “rite of passage.” These are common in many cultures and include ceremonies that signify becoming an adult, getting married, or making the transition from life to death. Examples of rites of passage that mark the movement from childhood to formal adulthood include confirmation ceremonies practiced in many Christian religions, as well as bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies in Judaism. Modern societies are somewhat lacking in secular rites of passage marking the transition to adulthood. Graduating from high school may be one, but for many young people, a more significant rite of passage seems to be getting a driver’s license.

Rites of passage have been analyzed as having three general phases: separation, transition, and incorporation.27 The separation from others may be dramatic, perhaps requiring several days and nights alone in the wilderness. In modern societies, the separation phase is less stark; an example might be an aspiring doctor leaving her hometown to enroll in pre-med courses at a distant college or university. For medical students, the next phases of separation—internship and then residency—are even more intense, as long hours and moving to a new community can be a source of considerable isolation.

The transition phase of many rites of passage has been characterized as “an ambiguous, unstructured state of inbetweenness.”28 In this phase, initiates have lost some of their previous identity but have yet to take on a new one completely. In the occupational realm, it is a time of further learning and assimilating the subculture of the occupation, as well as a time for convincing established members that one is worthy of admission into it. This period may include a combination of further study and assuming a portion of an occupational role, as when a graduate student works as a teaching assistant or a professional in training takes on an internship.

The final stage, incorporation, is the most dramatic because it is usually marked by a rite or ceremony. The ceremony usually has a formal structure that may have remained unchanged for decades or even centuries. It may entail some degree of discomfort or even physical pain for the initiate. In some traditional societies, the passage to formal adulthood might have included knocking out a tooth or receiving distinctive tattoos. In contrast, the last phase of earning a PhD degree entails no physical pain but may still evince considerable discomfort: submitting to an oral exam based on the student’s dissertation.

Pain, humiliation, or both can also be found in informal rites of passage administered by colleagues and workmates. One common informal rite of passage is hazing, such as that which occurs among certain coal miners. As noted earlier, underground coal mining is a dangerous occupation, and a high level of trust and respect for one’s workmates helps mitigate some of the fears that are an inescapable part of the job.

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