The Rites of Passage and Liminality Essay

I never realized before this class that these changes in my life were rites of passage every time that I was getting older as a person.Rites of passage have been in my life ever since I was born until now because as a child I transitioned from a fetus to a fully born baby,every single birthday that I ever had and continue to have,and even in the future when I get married or even when I die.All of my rites of passage were celebrated with a form of celebration as every birthday was celebrated with a birthday party, my graduation for both middle school and high school as I went through the ceremonies and parties afterward,and for my religious moments when I would have a celebratory mass and a celebration with gifts after each of all my events.Rites

Spiritual beliefs are also enhanced during Hajj, making it significant for the community and individual. Muslims believe that the Hajj was designed and commanded to be observed by Allah. The most intensive experience of umma in the life of a Muslim is to perform Hajj, the fifth pillar of faith, making it extremely significant in the lives of Islamic adherents and the community, as the event provides an opportunity for a sense of umma, through recognition of tawhid. Hajj provides Muslims with the opportunity to awaken their consciousness of their God centrality, through the tawaf made around the Ka’ba as Muslims recite their submission to will of Allah. This collective form of worship also contributes significantly to an individuals self identity through being part of the umma. It is also a means of increasing the certainty of faith as Muslims see more than two million adherents performing Hajj. Hajj also

In Conrad Philip Kottak’s “Rite of Passage” he mentions the three stages of a rite of passage. Anthropologist Arnold Van Gennep defines these stages as Separation, Margin, and Aggregation. Victor Turner, another anthropologist, focused on Margin, which he referred to as liminality. Not only can a rite of passage be an individual experience, but it can also be a communal experience which Turner called “communitas.” Many of us experience this “communitas” in different ways such as my Hispanic culture that experiences quinceneras. Quinceneras are a rite of passage for young girls’ transition from adolescence to womanhood. I for one never experienced this rite of passage.

The Rite of Passage is about young females who file their teeth down into points. This ritual is done to show their soul, and to beautify yourself. The teeth sharpening is done in Indonesia specifically to the Mentawai tribe, to serve everlasting life, and to purify your soul.

The Hajj is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and ultimately reflects many core Muslim beliefs. Through spiritual rebirth, the wearing of the Ihram garments, the acknowledgement of Allah 's omnipotency and the experience of following in Prophet Muhammad 's footsteps, adherents through the Hajj are able to reflect the Islamic beliefs of Jihad, Umma, Zakat, and forgiveness in their own lives. By this Muslims are able to become more intimate with Allah and his will, and are also destined to an afterlife in heaven by his side. Accordingly, those who do not complete the Hajj in their lifetime will be sentenced to an afterlife in purgatory. These consequences reflect how

The main characters Toundi from Houseboy and Firdaus from Woman at Point Zero were unable to complete their rites of passage. It is evident from the begin of both novels that neither character would be reincorporated into society due to their incapability to “follow the rules” that were set for them as second-class citizens. In Firdaus’ case, women lived in a patriarchal society where women were supposed to be the submissive gender. However, she demonstrates the need for women to take charge of their lives and not live under the power of men. Toundi, on the other hand, attempts to encounter a life filled with advancement and improvements from the Whites, however soon realizes that the French have no intention of allowing Black people to

A twelve year old boy holding an Airsoft, sitting on a swing in a park at 3:30 p.m. in broad daylight was shot not two seconds after officers arrived at the scene. He died the following day from injuries.

The hajj consists of four days of constant practice and ritual. The talbiya, a prayer of announcement is recited constantly while on hajj. The rituals of the pilgrimage begin once the pilgrims enter the gates of Mecca, reciting the talbiya; these serve as checkpoints to guarantee that only Muslims enter the holy site. One of the core ceremonies of the trip is the circumambulation of the Ka 'ba (tawaf) seven times counterclockwise by those on hajj. Tradition states that Abraham and Ishmael practiced the same ritual during their lifetimes. On one corner of the Ka 'ba rests the "black stone…a sign of God 's covenant with Abraham and Ishmael. The Prophet used to touch it when he passed, and pilgrims follow his example, also kissing and meditating near it (1)."

The Hajj is a yearly Islamic journey to Mecca, and a compulsory religious obligation for Muslims that must be done at any rate once in their lifetime by every Muslim who are physically and fiscally equipped for undertaking the voyage, and can bolster their family amid their nonappearance. It is one of the five mainstays of Islam, nearby Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, and

From hundreds, to thousands, to millions; Hajj has been one of the fastest growing pilgrimages in the world. It dates back to the early Islamic history, and commemorates Abraham’s devotion to God, and his will to sacrifice his son Ismael, which is celebrated by Eid ul Adha.. Through Hajj, Muslims get to perform the same rituals in the same manner as he did centuries before. Hajj is one of the five pillars of the Islamic tradition, which makes it compulsory on every person, unless one can’t afford it or has an illness. Islam is also one of the

Throughout time, many aspects of life have changed in drastic ways. One common thing around the world, no matter where you are, that has evolved is over time is religion. One religion that has changed has been Islam. Something that unites all Muslims is a common belief they have; The Five Pillars. These Pillars allow the Muslim community to become one regardless of their social statue. One of the most changed of these would be the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Also known as the Hajj, “ Every adult Muslim who if physically and financially able is expected to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in his or her lifetime.” (Wired.com) In the pre modern time, it was a very dangerous journey to perform the Hajj. Many thought

When a Jewish boy is then 13 he has a Bar Mitzvah, meaning ‘son of the

Performing the Hajj at least one time during a Muslims life is another pillar of Islam. Hajj is the pilgrimage from Medina to Mecca that occurs every year in the last month of the Islamic calendar. Hajj is to be made during the specified months, and while on the hajj a man should not have sexual intercourse, should not swear, or get into disputes while on the pilgrimage (2: 197). If someone is ill or too weak to perform hajj, someone else can make the pilgrimage on their behalf, with the ill person receiving the reward (HB 2: 589). Muhammad also tells women that instead of participating in Jihad, a women’s Jihad is performing the hajj (HB 4: 43, 127).

able to travel to Makkah, the Hajj is said to be the peak of their

The general study of humans and their ways of life is called Anthropology. Anthropology have four classic subdivisions: Cultural (or socio-cultural) Anthropology, Archaeology, Linguistics Anthropology and Biological (or physical) Anthropology. He or she who typically had some training in each of these four classic subdivisions in fact, have connected them to one another within a large field anthropology study. Moreover, he or she can use the theoretical knowledge and findings of anthropology to solve real-world problems surrounding human beings or human customs. Anthropologist has an idea that the beliefs and practices of a culture should be understood within the context that particular culture’s background, history and current events surrounding it called Cultural relativism. The main objective of this final research paper is examining my own culture from etic (i.e. outsider’s) perspective and another culture from emic (i.e. insider’s) perspective to clearly show my personal understanding of cultural relativism. Specifically, I will examine the rites of passage in African American girls/women lived reality and effects of the intersectional race, class and gender oppression in America coupled with discussing Japanese different rituals comparison to American outlook into death and the afterlife. All in all, rites of passage are done differently and makes a difference in its own society.