Newell-Fonda High School
Newell, Iowa

 

Transitional Life of Our American Youth

By Beth A. Bellinghausen

12th Grade

 

The phrase “Rite of Passage” describes any rite or ritual that marks or induces a change in an individual’s social position.  These passages include birth, puberty, initiation into social or family groups, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, and death.  In many societies these passages are judged, and the individual is placed on a social pedestal in their community.  In America there are no culturally universal rites of passage.  Local communities need to initiate a rite of passage for American youth because they are the leaders of tomorrow and their actions will affect the workplace, the communities, and families in the future.

           

The transition between being a teenager and becoming an adult is the most controversial and toughest of all transitions.  Many emotional factors are involved in this process.  I don’t believe receiving a driver’s license, going to the high school Prom, and graduating from high school or college prepares the individual for the roles they will have to assume as adults.  Because the societies we live in today are a melting pot of cultural backgrounds and beliefs, contemporary rites of passage have become extremely personalized; therefore, finding a way to initiate teenagers into adulthood becomes difficult.

           

Everything around us is always changing.  People aren’t the same as they were five years ago.  Like everything else transitions change.  Kids are raised entirely differently from one generation to the next.  I believe some of this might possibly be based on their position in the family.  An oldest child might be raised with more support or more expectations to becoming an responsible adult.  The youngest child may have few options and not as much direct attention.  This is a result of the parents having previous experience and carrying it from one child to the next.  This could vary the way adolescents look at becoming adults.  Too many teenagers have been forced through this important transition in their life.  Several situations have caused immature transitions.  Teen pregnancy forces young girls and boys to become parents who will have to teach their child about transitions, and they haven’t even made this journey in life themselves.  Another depressing outcome to look at that unfortunately happens too often is when parents abandon their children, and their children are forced to raise themselves and possibly younger siblings.  In this case, the children have become the “adults” in the family.

           

Transitions in someone’s life do not need to be marked by body modifications.  Some cultures force their people into doing things to their body that can be dangerous.  I don’t believe this is a way to prove ourselves as grown ups.  Although when the subject is put under immense conside-ation, our culture is one that uses body modifications during transitions.  These are not usually forced in our culture.  I have often seen young girls anxious to get their ears pierced, but their parents won’t allow it until they are a certain age.  Once a teenager turns eighteen, smoking becomes legal and tattooing does also.  Both of theses things are being practiced by teens today.  The young age limit allows them access and as a result they assume this declares them as adults. 

           

One huge factor I would consider in a teenager becoming adult is the ability of the individual to accomplish leadership roles.  Also they need to know their roles in the community as an adult.  All students have leadership potential.  Leaders are individuals (both adults and adolescents) who think for themselves, communicate their thoughts and feelings, and help others to act on their own beliefs.  A good leader shares their ideas, energy, creativity, and doesn’t allow personal insecurities to become an obstacle.

           

A solution to this problem is definitely not an easy one.  It requires a considerable amount of thought and imagination.  It is obvious that something needs to be done or at least considered.  There is a movie that has an Amish community in it, and it shows a unique way of helping their adolescents throughout their different transitions in life.  The community has a group of elders and these elders “watch” over the community and see that the rules are enforced and everything is taken care of properly.  Maybe this is something to consider.  Another option is having teen-agers out in the community more often, whether it be a paying job or community service.  As a teenager we might have to prove ourselves by contributing our time to improve the lives of others to the best of our ability.  If the adolescents today aren’t introduced into the adult world properly, the situation of troubled teens will turn into the generation of troubled adults, and this could be passed on from one child to the next until someone invents an idea that excites teenagers about becoming responsible, respected adults.

 

Works Cited

Arbor, Ann.  “Character Education for Developing Youth Leadership.”  Education                    Digest  Dec. 1999:  11-16.

Arbor, Ann.  “Connecting With Todays Youth.”  Education Digest  Jan. 1999:  14-16.

 

Answers to Required Reading Questions

 

Q1.      I believe that in the Preface to Coming of Age In Samoa Margaret Mead was referring to the motto the army uses in it’s commercials,  “Be all that you can be . . .“  I think when she addressed this she was referring to the way teenagers live their life.  They don’t strive to reach their full potential in all aspects of their life and may be missing many opportunities that are available to them.

 

Q2.      I believe all four of the issues are still controversial today, but if I had to choose one I believe it would be that the effects of artificially separating children from a knowledge of birth, love and death are less of an issue.  I think part of the reason this comes to mind is because as a student you hear more of the others.

 

Q3.      I agree with Margaret Mead in that culture is man made completely.  These cultures had to begin somewhere.  I believe that over the centuries people have added and deleted numerous things to their cultures making them unique from everyone around them.  I do think that man has changed these cultures over long periods of time to accommodate present obstacles, but overall I don’t believe that one person can design a culture to fit their lifestyle completely.  A culture has to represent a whole group of people not a selecte few.  Culture in the dictionary is defined as the characteristic features of a civilization including its beliefs, its artistic and material products, and its social institutions.

 

Q4.      In her writings Margaret Mead was advocating greater knowledge and control over the civilization process.

 

Q5.      I believe kids try to get past adults, but I think adults pretty much know what their kids are doing they just aren’t willing to admit kids in their community or their own children could be apart of something they believe is wrong.  I think some of the behavior that adults see is a teen-ager’s only way of crying out for help and their cries are ignored.  Many people argue that if some illegal acts are legalized the thrill of getting past the law would be minimized.  I don’t believe this is true without a rapid increase in death and violence first.

 

Q6.  I have witness several students come to school dances and Prom that have had a little too much to drink before they came.  I can’t understand how they get past the chaperones but they get in.  I have never witnessed the selling of drugs or people doing drugs in our school, but people always talk.

 

Q7.      I don’t believe there is a solution that will completely eliminate a young African American’s problems in this situation today.  No matter how much you may respect and admire one person there will always be a crowd that brings down the criticism for everyone.  I do believe that one person can make the situation better for themselves in a smaller community.  Even though it may not seem fair, prove to the store owners that they have absolutely no reason to be cautious of you.  Do business at one place often.  Don’t dress so provocatively that you stand out.  And make pleasant conversation with the people around you.  This can’t hurt them in any way.  It may be worth a try.

 

Q8.      Sometime in their lives the kids that attend single sex school are going to have to wake up to the real world.  Some of the strongest friendship relationships are between two people of the opposite sex.  There aren’t many places people can work anymore that are one sex oriented and this could be quite a social distraction for someone who is unfamiliar working with or near others of the opposite sex.  For a person that has always gone to a single sex school this is another obstacle they have to overcome as they become adults.

 

Q9.      I wouldn’t go to the extreme of saying schools are like prisons because we do learn some basics things for the “real world.”  The foods classes and child development/child care classes do teach some of the basics of living on your own but you don’t get much information besides the text from the book.  I’m also not in a position to say if I have learned the right life skills because I haven’t lived on my own and haven’t had to rely only on myself.  I could evaluate better once I have discovered this on my own.  The problem with incorporating more classes is that there isn’t enough time in the school day to add these classes plus get enough credits from you required classes.  Possibly some of the required classed need to be reevaluated.

 

Q10.    I agree that if you can’t get your kids to listen you are wasting your time in talking and lecturing all the time.  Some examples need to be set before you can come in acting all high and mighty.  Possibly gaining the respect of your teenager will make them realize you do trust them as a person to make thier own decision and judgements.  They might just see that you are trying to give them the best opportunities in life.  One huge mistake I think parents make is trying to correct their mistakes from the past through their children.