Page 172 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

initiation and rites of passage 991

Further Reading the maturational transition out of the realm of the living.
Dudley, L. (1999). Communications and economic growth. European Individuals may also experience transitions in educa-
Economic Review, 43, 595–619.
Dudley, L. (2003, May). Explaining the great divergence: Medium and tional, occupational, legal, or social status, in-group mem-
message on the Eurasian land mass, 1700 –1850. Paper presented at bership, and role assignment. Graduation from school,
the workshop on law and economics, Corsica. certification into a profession, marriage, the shift to a
Eisenstein, E. (1979). The printing press as an agent of change. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press. new social class, acceptance into a fraternity or sorority,
Findlay, R., & O’Rourke, K. H. (2003). Commodity market integration, and parenthood are all examples of such transitions.
1500–1800. In M. Bordo et al. (Eds.), Globalization in historical per- Human societies tend to mark such life transitions with
spective. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Hayek, F.A. (1945).The use of knowledge in society. American Economic rites of passage. Baptisms, naming ceremonies, hazings,
Review, 35(4), 519–530. bar mitzvahs, coming-out balls, graduation ceremonies,
Headrick, D. (2000). When information came of age: Technologies of
knowledge in the age of reason and revolution, 1700–1850. New induction rituals, weddings, and funerals are examples
York: Oxford University Press. of rites of passage. A ritual that has elements of a rite of
Kronick, D.A. (1962). History of scientific and technical periodicals. New passage may also simultaneously serve other purposes.
York: Scarecrow Press.
Mokyr, J. (2002). The gifts of Athena: Historical origins of the knowledge So, for example, a marriage may mark the transition of
economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. the prospective spouses from the status of single to mar-
Mokyr, J. (in press).The intellectual origins of economic growth. Journal
of Economic History. ried and also promote fertility of the couple.
O’Rourke, K. H., & Williamson, J. G. (2002). After Columbus: Explain-
ing Europe’s overseas trade boom. Journal of Economic History,
62(2), 417–456.
Schofield, R. (1963). The lunar society of Birmingham. Oxford: Claren- Structure of a
don Press. Rite of Passage
White, L. (1978). Medieval religion and technology. Berkeley, CA: Uni-
versity of California Press. Rites of passage are found in every known human soci-
Zilsel, E. (1942). The sociological roots of science. American Journal of ety, past and present. Additionally, these rituals tend to
Sociology, 47(4), 544–560.
Ziman, J. (1976). The force of knowledge. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge share certain broad structural features in common.Thus,
University Press. any rite of passage typically begins with a formal sepa-
Ziman, J. (1978). Reliable knowledge: An exploration of the grounds for ration of the transitioning individual from the old state
belief in science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
or status. The person then remains for some period of
time in a marginal or transitional state divorced from
both past and future statuses. Finally, in the incorpora-
tion phase of the rite, the transitioning individual enters
Initiation and into the new state or status. The substantive details of a

specific kind of rite often symbolically mirror the nature
Rites of Passage of the specific transition that it is marking. For example,
a birth ceremony, which celebrates the entrance of a per-
he term “rite of passage” refers to any ritual marking son into the world, is likely to emphasize the incorpora-
Ta transition in the life of an individual from one state tion phase of the rite, while in a funeral ceremony, which
or status to another.All human beings experience a series marks the departure of the individual from the world, the
of such transitions in the course of a lifetime.Transitions separation features of the ritual might be elaborated. Fur-
can reflect biological or maturational progressions. So, ther, the content of a rite may be a symbolic reference to
for instance, birth marks the maturational transition some aspect of the transition that it is marking. So, an
from existence within the womb to life in the outside opening door may mirror the idea that the individual is
world, puberty marks the maturational transition from entering a new status. Similarly, the incorporation of a
sexual immaturity to sexual maturity, and death marks person into some new status may be reflected in the acts