SOCIAL JUSTICE
SNAPSHOT
SOCIAL INCLUSION
By Dr Andy Marks andy.marks@vinnies.org.au
26 August 2009
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Rites of passage: journeys of admission or exclusion?
ife’s journey is mapped by all manner of signs. As we leave school we hopefully receive a diploma; having learnt how to drive we gain our licence; and as we enter the workforce our sense of being a part of it all is validated on receiving our first pay packet. Other key stages in life are marked in a different way. Rites of passage are commonly understood as ceremonies celebrating transitions that we all experience, such as birth, adolescence, maturity, and death. Rites have a deep spiritual meaning for many people. Of course, rites of passage differ in accordance with religious belief, culture, age, gender and ethnicity. By their very nature, rites of passage are open to some and closed to others. It is this inclusionary-exclusionary dimension that makes them a critical social justice issue.
“As darkness fell they were approached cautiously by a group of young Aboriginals. Startled, Phillip’s group readied themselves, nervously clutching their rifles.” We cannot talk about rites of passage in Australia without first acknowledging Indigenous Australians. For more than forty thousand years they have brought meaning to the term rites of passage through their visionary custodianship of this land. Their wisdom, spirituality and hope are to be celebrated.
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While many people live in accordance with longstanding and unbroken rites of passage, others bring a different amalgam of fragmented, yet equally treasured set of rituals. If we glance back a mere 220 years, we can see how seemingly inconsequential and broadly disparate rites can, against the odds, be the catalyst for understanding and acceptance. In March 1789, a year after the arrival of the first fleet, Governor Phillip led a survey party north of Sydney Harbor in search of land suitable for farming. The small group of white settlers were curious, yet apprehensive about the local Indigenous population. In fact tensions abounded among both parties as to the intentions of the other. Phillip’s party camped one night at Booker Bay, near Woy Woy. As darkness fell they were approached cautiously by a group of young Aboriginals. Startled, Phillip’s group readied themselves, nervously clutching their rifles. Any anxieties both groups had were quickly allayed. The local men were impressed with Phillip because he had one of his front teeth missing – just like the region’s Aboriginal males who removed the exact same front tooth during tribal initiation. News travelled fast and wherever Phillip and his party camped they were greeted warmly by locals. The visual signs of a shared rite of passage may not have totally eased apprehensions yet they were enough to generate a level of tolerance and acceptance. Despite these positive beginnings, mistrust and ignorance soon overran the goodwill generated through these ritual signifiers. Rites of revenge and violence usurped those of mutual understanding and we are all very aware of the gross injustices perpetrated against Indigenous Australians in the years that followed.
“National borders are rarely drawn up in polite conversation over a cup of tea and scones – they are typically forged through war or invasion.” Many would argue that the process of colonisation itself is a rite of passage; a rite where one culture asserts its supposed dominance over another through a process of subjugation, oppression and dispossession. In many ways this rite is a feature of any modern nation. National borders are rarely drawn up in polite conversation over a cup of tea and scones – they are typically forged through war or invasion. This has been the rite of passage for nations for centuries, a rite that sadly shows no signs of abating.
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They play such an integral role in our lives, but what exactly do we mean by the term rite of passage? A rite is widely understood to be a customary observance or practice. This definition could encompass the simple act of having a drink at a club, an act that could hardly be described as a rite of passage. To be a rite, the act must have a deeper, shared meaning. This could be, for example, having a drink at a club with friends on a Friday evening, celebrating being together at the end of the working week. To become a rite of passage however, the sense of shared meaning attached to the act must symbolise admission or departure from a particular status recognised by the group. To continue with our example, a rite of passage could be a group of 18 year-olds sharing their first drink together in a club. This rite would signify a facet of the transition from childhood to adulthood, one that is traditionally celebrated in Australia – usually with great enthusiasm.
“Only one thing rivals the sense of personal satisfaction membership to a particular group gives me, and that’s the shared feeling of satisfaction my fellow members and I have in knowing we are different (or apart) from those outside our group” One of the critical functions of a rite is to grant a person admission into a particular group. For example, by completing the ritual of admission to the Bowling Club, I become a member. By becoming a member I gain the shared knowledge, access, privileges and, importantly obligations my fellow members are granted. This makes me different from non-members. Difference is a pivotal part of any rite. Only one thing rivals the sense of personal satisfaction membership to a particular group gives me, and that’s the shared feeling of satisfaction my fellow members and I have in knowing we are different (or apart) from those outside our group. It is the rite, or more specifically, the rite of passage that enables these binding feelings. The very same bonding rite, however, cannot occur without the exclusion of others.
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Many of us revel in the sense of belong a rite of passage affords us. A few years ago a prominent world leader sought to define his group (his sense of belonging) with the blunt ultimatum, “You’re either with us or against us.” This is a menacing declaration equally at home in the corridors of power and children’s playgrounds.
“A rite can foster feelings of belonging, exclusion, admission, severance, ownership, custodianship, acceptance and rejection.” Some people seek to strictly control who can and cannot undertake a rite of passage. Another noted public figure once attempted to rally his group against those seeking admission with the battle cry, “We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstance under which they come.” Others steer clear of confrontational language, wanting nothing whatsoever to do with rites of passage. We all know the famous retort to a rite of passage declined: “I wouldn’t want to join any club that would have me as a member.” Thank you Groucho Marx! A brief look at the range of rhetoric surrounding rites of passage confirms they signify many different things; several of them seemingly oppositional in meaning. A rite can foster feelings of belonging, exclusion, admission, severance, ownership, custodianship, acceptance and rejection. If we discuss the spiritual dimension of rites of passage, a similar range of meanings are apparent; however, the context is different. Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Judean and Buddhist traditions – to name but a few – retain many of the oppositional interpretations of rites of passage held in secular readings, yet they seek to mitigate the exclusionary tones by extolling various doctrines of acceptance and tolerance towards all, without judgement or prejudice.
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If we think of rites of passage for Catholics; we may think of Baptism, first Communion, confirmation, marriage (or holy orders) and last rites. Similarly, with Islam we may think of the Aqiqah (Feast and Naming Ceremony), Bismillah (First Qur’an Recital), Walimah (Wedding Feast), and Shahadah (Last Rites) ceremonies as key rites of passage. These rites have established meanings, widely documented, enacted and studied throughout the world, yet no two enactments of any of these rituals are exactly the same. It is the sentiment a rite of passage embodies more than the intricacies of the process itself that is key. Over time many rites of passage are lost, forgotten, ignored or re-invented. Others remain the same in name yet hold little fidelity to their original intent. However, as a social device, a way to make sense of our lives, and a symbol to mark the stages of life, they remain critically important.
“Is stealing a car a right of passage into a particular group? What about taking drugs? Self-harming? Dropping out of school? Aren’t these rites of passage as well?” What rites of passage give us meaning today? What does it mean to be a man, for example, in western Sydney? Is it about overcoming trials and tribulations to get an education, find a job, build a relationship, and start a family? Given the level of socio-economic disadvantage throughout the region, it would seem that these achievements are not just rites of passage; rather they are signs of triumph. What other rites of passage are open to youths in the area? Is stealing a car a right of passage into a particular group? What about taking drugs? Self-harming? Dropping out of school? Aren’t these rites of passage as well? They fulfil the definition: They admit an individual into a particular group; they create a sense of solidarity; they hold a shared meaning; and mark a new stage in life. What about one of the biggest rites of passage of all: entering the prison population? Perhaps some of us saw a recent Four Corners report documenting the appalling rate of incarceration among youths in NSW. Juvenile Justice Minister, Graham West commented that the map of juvenile crime in this state correlates almost exactly with areas of socio-economic disadvantage. We know all about these links, this longstanding ritual of disadvantage and punishment, yet nothing seems to change.
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One traumatised youth interviewed on the program nervously described one of the rites of passage endured by new inmates, some as young as thirteen. “You walk down the hall and they all yell out ‘Fresh meat!’ It means they’ve got somebody new to bash.” Faced with stories like this and it’s clear we’ve come to a point where some rites of passage need to be changed.
“You walk down the hall and they all yell out ‘Fresh meat!’ It means they’ve got somebody new to bash.” Change is not impossible. After initially positive contact with the Eora people of Port Jackson, Governor Phillip was wounded by a spear. Spearing was a common rite of passage and conflict resolution among the Eora who could have easily killed Phillip with a lethal throw. Phillip did not react vengefully; instead he tried to understand Indigenous customs and wherever possible ensured that violence against them would not go unpunished. In time, Phillip’s compassion was overrun by the insatiable verve of colonisation. However, this propensity for change on the part of a man whose life had been built on strict compliance with staid and disciplined ritual must not be overlooked. Rites of passage are one of many ways we try to make sense of the unfamiliar. We engage in them when confronted with something new and challenging, often because we don’t know how to react. A rite is also a way to celebrate shared understanding; a communion that is critical in fostering the social, spiritual and psychological sense of belonging we all need to find meaning and purpose in life. Rites of passage should recognise difference, yet never be exclusionary or oppressive. If we are to engage in any kind of ritual we need the trust and acceptance of those we seek passage with; in doing so we should ensure that we are willing to give the same level of trust and acceptance. This is a right we are all entitled to SJ
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