Kecoughtan High School

Hampton, Virgina

Teacher: Emma Flood

 

 

 

Is It Time For Local Communities To Initiate
A Rite Of Passage For American Youth?

By Ryan Moore

 

For many years, the phases of life have been studied and thousands of people have tried to explain what they all mean and why they occur. This simple fact will remain for thousands of more years for answers to life’s questions are not always answered and sometimes cannot be answered, but through extensive understanding of oneself. A wonderful part of anthropology is the study of life’s changes, for example, the change from adolescents to adulthood. The one problem in many people’s idea of this phase, is the fact of whose journey or “rite of passage” is it really and whose responsibility is it? People may find it truthful that it is simply the adolescent’s effort that will allow them to excel through these times in their lives. For it is the young person’s purpose and even duty to accomplish this goal of life by him or herself to allow…growth and…adapt[ation] to the changing times. The adolescent is given the job…of entering into “manhood” [which] must be done at a personal level….Personal experience is something that cannot be explained by others, it is something that has to be accomplished by oneself and no other way.

 

This “rite of passage” [is an entrance] into…manhood, or rather adulthood. This is one of the most personal accomplishments known to man and should be treated this way.  This “rite of passage” should be done [alone] and not through the [impersonal] actions of a community.  All of life’s changes are different from person to person, for that is what makes us individual. Another thought to consider is [that] with this added help, will the adolescent regret [the additional help] later in life and be constantly reminded of it when [he/she] goes through life’s many other phases. For it is the main purpose of this “rite of passage” [to provide a vehicle] for the individual to grow. Furthermore, this cannot be done with others “holding our hands.” The answer to most of these questions are, it [a rite of passage] will not work unless it is a personal activity with no outside influence. With this, a person will make it through to the other side….

 

Secondly, local communities are…much time, already at a stand-still with previous legislation of more important needs and interests. If we force our government, on a local level, to help those that need help to excel through life’s many changes, especially [attaining] adulthood, are we not simply lowering the standard for those who make it through by themselves? If we constantly lowers standards…put [in place for] the pursuit of excellence, we are simply abusing and hurting [everyone] for quality will be replaced by quantity. Local communities should not take on the role that individuals…[reserve] for themselves. In Margaret Mead’s studies of children from Samoa in the 1920s, she found that they were given certain roles [and] were not helped by…adults. They knew their place in the community without the community telling them what it was. In these civilizations the problems of adolescence were not found, for there was no [assistance] and [adolescents] did not expect their place to be handed to them.

 

Furthermore, initiative is a driving force that has been greatly underestimated in [this country]. We have become accustomed to being told what to do with no real personal though. We have begun to rely on others. The phrase “I need help,” is not always [so] terrible, [although] it should not…be abused. Initiative is a powerful force that has been proven to move mountains and even bring a person through adolescence to the light at the end of the tunnel—adulthood. This initiative is what allows people with [fewer] resources from their communities to surpass those…more fortunate students in many aspect of life. If a student…put his or her mind to succeed, then anything is possible. If more individuals thought this way and acted like this, then people around the nation would benefit greatly from what [could be] accomplished. Local communities should not be the force that replaces initiative, for it will cause problems in the future and make us even more lazy than we already are. With this said, no change in resources, schools and other  community…efforts should be used until we use our own resources and efforts to get…through our problems and trying times.

 

Local communities should not be responsible for something that the individual should be able to accomplish…. This is best understood when [we make it] clear that this “rite of passage” is a personal journey. Local communities are already busy enough with other civic duties. [Individual] initiative should replace self-doubt. If we work hard for our goals and win them ourselves, then [we will know that we didn’t need to have] our hand held through it all. For with self-trust and personal effort, we can [engineer] our own person[al] “rite of passage” successfully.