Articles and Dissertations

Bjornsen, C. A. (2000). The blessing as a rite of passage in adolescence. Adolescence, 35, 357-65.
Substantiates the importance of parental involvement in the coming of age experience. In this study, psychologists identify the significance of the same-sex parental confirmation of the transition from adolescence to adulthood and name it a “blessing.” Of the adolescents who were surveyed, 87.5 % welcomed or wanted their parent’s recognition of maturity. This signifies that adult involvement and recognition is very important to the transition into adulthood.

Butler, E.R. (1998). Alcohol use and abuse as a rite of passage.  Reaching Today's Youth: The Community Circle of Caring Journal, 3, 1, 18-23.
The author provides evidence that the rites of passage that are a normal part of a young person's growth from adolescence to adulthood are sometimes marked with the use and abuse of alcohol. He urges adults to create meaningful rituals for teenagers so they will not resort to dangerous behaviors such as alcohol.

Collinson, V. & Hoffman, L. M. (1998, April). High school as a rite of passage for social and intellectual development. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
There are few articles that have been written that allow youth to provide their opinion about rites of passage and the transition from childhood to adulthood.  During this study researchers discovered “what they value [teens] and remember are the rites and rituals that act as markers of independence on their journeys toward adulthood.”

Delaney, C. H. (1995). Rites of passage in adolescence. Adolescence, 30, 891-98.
Compares rites of passage across cultures in Africa, South, and North America including the U.S. as a means to better understand their benefits in working with adolescents. Identifies rites of passage in the African-American community and concludes that expanding rites of passage programs and introducing bibliotherapy into the high school curriculum may result in “a greater sense of fulfillment for the young people coming of age in America”.

Foster, S. (1998). The yellow brick road: coming of age in the wilderness. Humanistic-Psychologist, 26, 199-216.
Explores the rite of passage experienced by nine teenagers ages 16-19 at the School of Lost Borders as a means to heal childhood traumas by facing their inner nature. Argues that society’s failure to provide adolescents with a universally sanctioned rite of passage severely hinders their process of self-discovery and of finding their “place” in the world.

Hutter, D. M. (2000). Weaving the fabric of culture: the emergence of personal and collective wisdom in young adults participating in a wilderness rite of passage.  Dissertation Abstracts International, 61 (01).
In this year long study, young adults ages 18-21, Caucasians of diverse socio-economic backgrounds, participated in a wilderness rite of passage to mark the transition into adulthood based on van Gennep’s classic 3 stage model. An interview with participants focused on issues young people face, the impact of the rite of passage on their transition, and any gained wisdom or insights.

Kessler, R. (1999). Initiation – saying goodbye to childhood. Educational Leadership, pp 30-33.
This article provides an example of how a rites of passage program can help guide students from adolescence to responsible adulthood. Kessler proves that such programs can be successful.  She does this by examining two programs in detail.

Klein, H. (1990). Adolescence, youth, and young adulthood: rethinking current conceptualizations of life stage. Youth & Society, 21, 446-72.
Provides a socio-psychological overview of life stage theories throughout history from the medieval idea of childhood to contemporary views on adolescence. Identifies a problem in current societal conceptions of the adolescent life stage as not allowing adequate time for the development of responsibility and independence. Useful as an overview or basic understanding of adolescence from a Western, historical perspective.

Mullen, R. (1999). Marking the milestones: acknowledging a child’s progression. The Fayetteville Observer, 14 September 1999. Retrieved on April 25, 2001 from the World Wide Web.
Recognizes that a child’s transition into adulthood most often occurs without any sanctioned rite of passage. According to Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, “I think they’re (rites of passage) are just as important now as ever.”

Riley, R. W. (2000, September). Times of Transition. Remarks delivered at the National Press Club, Washington DC.
The creation of freshman academies, the support of parent involvement, and the development of mentors are discussed in this document. Riley argues that society needs to create well-thought-out transitions or rites of passage into adulthood for all youth. The article strengthens the argument that rites of passage programs are desperately needed in our schools today.

Warfield-Coppock, N. (1992). The rites of passage movement: a resurgence of African-centered practice for socializing African American youth. The Journal of Negro Education, 61, 471-82.
Presents 20 rites of passage programs that address specific problems of African American teens. Rite leaders identify the key reasons for instituting rites of passage programs and the practices common to all of the programs. This is one of many articles published on rites of passage programs for African Americans.

This page was last updated 20-May-2001
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