Anthropology Essay - 550 Words

Anthropology Essay (Essay Sample) Content: AnthropologyName:Institution:IntroductionRites of passage are composed of rituals that various communities across the globe practice to mark different stages of life. For a good majority of the western countries, rites of passage are lightly observed as most of the people leave everything to chance and the social force within the society. However, in other parts of the world with a good majority in the developing nations, rites of passage are crucial to the continuity of culture and heritage. In East Africa there is a tribe that is called the Maasai. The tribe reside in the savanna planes. This is a tribe that is mostly known to the tour one of the African tourist destination Kenya (Circlist.com, 2014). The Maasaià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s have traditional circumcision ceremonies that mark the rite of passage for the young boys to become men in the community. It is a rite of passage that has the classical phases suggested by Arnold Van Gennep (Maasaiinfo.wikispaces.com, 2014).Separ ation phaseFor the Maasai boys who in most cases will be of the age 14 to 16, have to travel throughout their section of the land announcing that they are forming a new age set. This is a task that takes about four months. One of the elders, who is also a prophet suggests a place where the boys will build houses for their initiation. This has to far from their place of residence away from the rest of the community (Maasai-association.org, 2014). Before they are circumcised, the boys have to sleep in the forest. At dawn, they also have to run to the homestead with an attitude attuned to that of a warrior (Berkeleymedia.com, 2014). They also have to dress in loose clothes and also dance throughout the day.Transition phaseDuring this stage, the boys are supposed to keep away from any form of communication with the villagers back home. This phase ensures that the boys acclimatize with the aspects of being a man and the bravery required without the inputs from the family members. At the same time the boys are supposed to shun away from any sexual experiences as this would inhibit their self-realization process (Circlist.com, 2014). During the time that the boys are kept away from the rest of the community they are also trained on the ways of a Maasai warrior and man. They get to understand their role in the community and in their family, and traditions that they need to observe now that they have increased responsibilities within the community. The circumcision process takes place immediately after sunrise, in the cold chilly hours of the morning, when the bodies are numb. This takes place after a cold shower as a way of cleansing (Maasai-association.org, 2014).The Incorporation phaseThis is one of the most crucial stages as it marks the entrance of boys who have now been circumcised, as men back to the community. To prove that one has transitioned into adulthood from childhood, they must carry spears and large herds of cattle. The circumcised lot receives herds of cattle as gifts from their family members for a period of seven days into the healing period (Circlist.com, 2014). They are also given much more respect by community members, who now acknowledge them as warriors. The warriors are then offered a place within the community where they can build or relocate some of the community members, so they can have their homestead as the military force of the community.