Rituals are symbolic behaviors designed to have a particular effect and are commonly associated with religion or politics and social changes. Rites of passage are rituals that mark changes in one's status throughout life, such as birth, coming of age, marriage, and death. These rites typically involve three stages - separation from normal life, a transitional or liminal stage between statuses where social rules don't apply, and reincorporation into society with a new status.

1. Rites and Rituals

2. Rituals
• A ritual is a set of symbolic behaviors
designed to have a particular effect.
• Rituals are typically both stylized and
repetitive.

3. Rituals
• Rituals are commonly associated with
religion, but are just as often found in
the secular world. There are many
political and social rituals.

4. Rites of Passage
• Rites of Passage are rituals that mark
changes in status throughout one’s life.
• Arnold van Gennep first used this term
to describe these rituals in his book
“The Rites of Passage.”

5. Rites of Passage
• Birth Ceremonies
• Entrance into Religious/Social
Communities
• Graduations
• Reaching Adulthood/Coming of Age
• Weddings
• Funerals

6. Rites of Passage: 1st Stage
• Separation: the ending of one social
status. The individual may be physically
and/or socially removed from their
normal everyday life.

7. Rites of Passage: 2nd Stage
• Transition or Liminality: a stage
between one status and another: where
one is neither one thing nor another.

8. Rites of Passage: 2nd Stage
• Victor Turner described liminality as
being characterized by communitas.
• When rites of passage are undergone
by groups, there is a de-emphasis on
social differences (race, class…etc.)
Often typical social rules don’t apply.
This is communitas.

9. Rites of Passage: 3rd Stage
• Re-incorporation: the person is
reintroduced to society with a new
social status. Regular rules of behavior
are once again followed.

10. Rites of Passage: 3rd Stage
• Re-incorporation: the person is
reintroduced to society with a new
social status. Regular rules of behavior
are once again followed.