Centerville High School

Centerville, South Dakota
Teacher: Mitch Russell

 

 

Rite of Passage
By Phil McCombs

 

 

I think adolescence is a major time of stress in America.  I think it is more than it should be.  All the adults tell us that this is a really hard time, and this is the time we have to make all these decisions.  I believe that if our culture didn’t tell teens what a big deal adolescence is, then maybe they would be more likely to make the right decisions.  In Samoa, there is no adolescent stage.  I believe that because of this, teens know that they are expected to do what is right, they probably never think of doing otherwise. 

 

I believe that in Samoa they have a great respect for adults and that respect is absent in America.  Teens need to trust what their parents are saying.  Parents are speaking from experience, they do know what they are talking about.  I believe America has an attitude regarding everyone being able to do whatever they want, whenever they want.  Teens think they don’t have to listen to their parents at all.  They believe they can do whatever they want despite what their parents say. 

 

I think stress on adolescence in our country has a lot more to do with our culture than with our physiological changes.  For example, my parents had the same physical changes happening to them that I am having right now, but now there are so many more terrible things going on in the world.  Society has created a very stressful world for us.  The culture in Samoa is nothing like what it is here.  Therefore, they don’t have near as much trouble as we have in America.  We have problems with drugs, teenage pregnancy, guns, and numerous other things.  I believe that this comes from lack of respect for adults, among other things.  People start with lack of respect for their parents and that leads to disregarding all rules.   

 

I believe part of the reason adolescents are having so many problems is because they don’t have any responsibilities.  With nothing to do, teens are more likely to get into trouble.  In Samoa, children are given tasks at a very young age.  This makes children feel useful.  People need to feel useful.  Everyone wants to be needed.  If teens are performing a task, they know that they’re needed and they don’t have to try drugs or other things to find out who they are. Trying to find out who you are is what adolescence is.  I’ve noticed that people who have a job are better behaved.  They have a responsibility that they have to fulfill and it makes them feel like an adult.  If that makes a teen feel like an adult then they don’t have to try smoking or drinking.

 

Another reason teens in our country are so bad off is because of the absence of adults around to supervise their children.  In all the old movies, you would always see a parent waiting for the kids at home with something for them to eat, children were always supervised.  Now with both parents in the workplace, teens are free to do what they want.  Parents don’t know what they do, so teens control the house and bring bad things in.  

 

I believe parents should instill strong moral and religious values in their children. These days, a lot of parents are allowing teens to make their own choices on how they want to live their life.  I think parents know what is good for their children. I’m not saying parents should control their whole life, but they should try desperately to keep them out of trouble. Parents should strongly encourage their teens to go to church. They should instill religion at an early age with their children. Religion teaches respect and many other strong values. My religion is completely against drugs, smoking, alcohol, and sex before marriage, as well as other things.  I think this has helped me a lot and kept me out of trouble.  My parents could not force me to go to church, but I go every week because I know it’s the right thing to do. 

 

As Americans, we are given a great deal of freedom. Much is required of us because we have so much freedom. It’s hard to do the right thing with so much choice. Even though it is hard to make the right choice all the time, I wouldn’t have it any other way. No matter how much parents say to teens, it is ultimately their decision to make.

 

I’m going to comment on what the Potlatch-North American Indians said, they said that maybe when you gain riches and prove yourself; you should give it all away and start over. I don’t believe somebody should give everything away and start over if they become wealthy. I do believe that they should give away the excess money that they have.  I believe people who have excess money do not need to keep it all. I think they should buy nice things and save money for their kids’ college, but they should not hoard all their money. They should give it to charity or another good cause for the less fortunate.  I do not think they need to give it all away and start over though.

 

In conclusion, I believe that the troubles we have in our country with teens can all be attributed to a breakdown in the home.

 

Questions

 

Question 1.    The thing that Margaret Mead says in her book that is similar to an army recruiter is that you should live up to your potential. 

 

Question 2.  All of these things are still issues today.  (the importance of the language spoken in the home, familial pressures on children, misconceptions about race and color,  the effects of artificially separating children from a knowledge of birth, love, and death.) 

 

Question 3.  I agree with her that culture is man made.  I think culture is a set of attitudes or beliefs that a certain group makes. 

 

Question 4.  Margaret Mead was advocating greater knowledge and control over the civilizing process in her writings. 

 

Question 5.  I want adults to recognize what is going on and enforce boundaries and structure.  I know adults can’t watch us and see everything we do, and I don’t want them to control our lives, but I would like them to try harder to watch over their kids.   

 

Question 6.  These are three things that I absolutely saw high school students doing. 

 

·        I’ve seen a student smoking a cigar.

·        I’ve seen another student smoke and say they couldn’t quit.

·        I’ve seen pictures of people drinking at parties.

 

Question 7.  I do not have a solution for the plight of the black teenager.  I know it must be hard for black teenager to always be thought of as stealing and doing other criminal activities, but I do not see how you can stop people from being suspicious.  You can’t stop people from being subconsciously more suspicious of some people than others.     

 

Question 8.  I think it would be a relief if all we had to do were just go to classes and learn.  I would not be happy to be home schooled or went to a same sex school.  I would not enjoy that.  I think you have to enjoy school too.  I don’t think school would be as fun if there was nothing to do in school except learn.  There wouldn't be any sports or anything else such as that.   

 

Question 9.  I think classes would be much better if we would go out into the world and learn first hand.  I don’t know how we would do it, but if we could, it would be great. 

 

Question 10.  I think it’s very true that parents need to develop a relationship with their kids.  The parents need to be there to teach them values.