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The Rites of Passage
Birth, puberty, marriage, and death are, in all cultures, marked by ceremonies which may differ but are universal in function. Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957) was the first anthropologist to note the regularity and significance of the rituals attached to the transitional stages in man's life, and his phrase for these, "the rites of passage," has become a part of the language of anthropology and sociology.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1909
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 23, 2018
This was so reader friendly that I was actually a bit shocked by how fast the pages went by. Very easy to understands, A TON of examples to get exactly the kind of thing the author is talking about. Overall pretty interesting.
June 19, 2021
Arnold van Gennep's "The Rites of Passage" will be an absolute delight for anyone who enjoyed either James George Frazer's "Golden Bough" or Joseph Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." Like Frazer's book, it is a highly entertaining work of ethnography filled with fascinating descriptions of curious folk rites. Although, the first chapter of "The Rites of Passage" proposes a sociological framework for the analysis of the rites, it is essentially free of jargon. According to the introduction, Frazer was in attendance at the conference where van Gennep first presented his thesis on "Rites of Passage".
Having recently read Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" , I concur with the English Wikipedia article asserts that Joseph Campbell's proposed three-part structure for the heroic quest (i.e. -1- Separation; -2-Initiation; and -3- Return) comes from van Gennep's "Rites of Passage". I am unable to state, however, that Campbell ever acknowledged this to be the case. What I can say, however, is that van Gennep's book has a very natural appeal for fans of Joseph Campbell.
Van Gennep's purview, however, is much wider than that of Campbell who is focussed simply on the myth of the heroic quest of the national hero. Van argues that rites of passage can be found everywhere in our society. There are rites to mark the passages for all the stages of our lives (birth, onset of puberty, end of studies, entry into trade or profession, engagement, marriage, etc.). There also rites of passage for physical moves (i.e. travel to alien territories) and the change of season.
Van Gennep noted that rites of passage appeared to be most prominent in primitive societies characterized by a magico-religious world view and were of diminishing importance in modern society which considers itself to be rational. Strangely enough the interest in Van Gennep's book has increased not diminished in the century since it was published. It appears that many people living in the 21st century believe that they are constantly participating in rites of passage rather than engaging in useful activity.
Having recently read Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" , I concur with the English Wikipedia article asserts that Joseph Campbell's proposed three-part structure for the heroic quest (i.e. -1- Separation; -2-Initiation; and -3- Return) comes from van Gennep's "Rites of Passage". I am unable to state, however, that Campbell ever acknowledged this to be the case. What I can say, however, is that van Gennep's book has a very natural appeal for fans of Joseph Campbell.
Van Gennep's purview, however, is much wider than that of Campbell who is focussed simply on the myth of the heroic quest of the national hero. Van argues that rites of passage can be found everywhere in our society. There are rites to mark the passages for all the stages of our lives (birth, onset of puberty, end of studies, entry into trade or profession, engagement, marriage, etc.). There also rites of passage for physical moves (i.e. travel to alien territories) and the change of season.
Van Gennep noted that rites of passage appeared to be most prominent in primitive societies characterized by a magico-religious world view and were of diminishing importance in modern society which considers itself to be rational. Strangely enough the interest in Van Gennep's book has increased not diminished in the century since it was published. It appears that many people living in the 21st century believe that they are constantly participating in rites of passage rather than engaging in useful activity.
July 27, 2015
One of the seminal works on rites of passage across world culture, this is an illuminating look at how humans move through life, marking our key turning points with events, or rituals. Van Gennep notes these life rituals all share an underlying form, consisting of a tripartite process of separation, transition, and incorporation, and he demonstrates his theory again and again through close analysis of hundreds of rituals across cultures geographically and temporally.
As a storyteller, I find Van G.'s work particularly inspirational, as the tripartite structure of ritual also functions as an essential pattern in narrative composition.
Says Van Gennep, "Life itself means to separate and to be reunited, to change form and condition, to die and to be reborn. It is to act and to cease, to wait and rest, and then to begin acting again, but in a different way. And there are always new thresholds to cross."
To my fellow life voyagers, be well and enjoy your life journey!
As a storyteller, I find Van G.'s work particularly inspirational, as the tripartite structure of ritual also functions as an essential pattern in narrative composition.
Says Van Gennep, "Life itself means to separate and to be reunited, to change form and condition, to die and to be reborn. It is to act and to cease, to wait and rest, and then to begin acting again, but in a different way. And there are always new thresholds to cross."
To my fellow life voyagers, be well and enjoy your life journey!
June 11, 2009
This is a classic work in Anthropology, where he laid out his classification or rites, rites of separation (pre-liminal), rites of transition (liminal), and rites of incorporation (post-liminal). This would be greatly expanded on by Victor Turner.
July 7, 2021
Informative and interesting. But overly dense with information. Felt like I needed to take notes to follow the book.
December 17, 2018
"Za grupe kao i za pojedince, život predstavlja stalno razlaganje i obnavljanje, promene stanja i oblika, smrt i ponovno rađanje. To znači delati pa stati, sačekati i odmoriti se, a zatim nastaviti sa delanjem, ali na drugačiji način. I stalno su tu novi pragovi koje treba preći, pragovi leta i zime, godišnjeg doba ili godine, meseca ili noći; prag rođenja, adolescencije ili zrelog doba; prag starosti; prag smrti i prag novog života - za one koji u njega veruju". (219 str.)
January 4, 2020
Mi sembra che Van Gennep sia lo studioso che meglio riunisca il ramo di studi antropologici iniziato dal Frazer (seguito con passione dai tedeschi comeMannhardt, Dietrich, Westermark) e quello franco-slavo (Mauss, Doutté ripresi poi da Lévi-Strauss e Dumézil). Concordo che si tratti di un testo oggi un po’ datato ma resta comunque una pietra miliare in questo ambito, in quanto indubbiamente Van Gennep è stato il primo a pensare a delle categorie sociali quali la suddivisione in “ambiti” (che lui paragona a delle stanze) da cui l’essere Umano durante il suo percorso della vita è giocoforza costretto a passare dall’una all’altra: la funzione del rito è proprio quella di cercare di fare sì che questi passaggi avvengano nel modo più morbido possibile. Per questa ragione, Van Gennep ha anche rilevato come essi siano suddivisibili in sotto-passaggi (lui definisce per primo il concetto di “rito di margine” come può essere per esempio il fidanzamento, ovvero un momento di passaggio tra la vita da adolescente o single e quella allo stato adulto/genitoriale) che vanno però assolutamente considerati solo in connessione coi riti che precedono o seguono.
Uno studio sicuramente oggi un po’ superato ma sempre molto valido, interessante e degno di rispetto.
Uno studio sicuramente oggi un po’ superato ma sempre molto valido, interessante e degno di rispetto.
February 2, 2023
O carte interesantă, atâta vreme cât te preocupă obiceiurile din alte culturi. Pe lângă diferențele dintre triburi putem preciza și elemente de similitudine pe care le întâlnim și astăzi. Toate aceste perioade, precum: sarcina, nașterea, căsătoria sau funerariile devin puncte de reper pentru fiecare civilizație. Doar că aceste rituri de trecere prind contur și devin importante atunci când sunt respectate și îi ajută pe indivizi să intre în societate și să-i aparțină. Dacă observăm cu atenție, riturile de trecere se săvârșesc cu multă atenție, iar indivizii unei societăți sunt implicați și li se atribuie diferite roluri.
November 14, 2014
Although much of this is by now seriously outdated--specifically considering the ethnocentric and misogynistic discourse--van Gennep's early 20th Century conversation on his now-famously coined term "Rite of Passage" is an important anthropological starting point. The text only ever touches upon the concepts, and uses a variety of examples only in passing, but the general concept of said rites--articulated through the process of separation, transition, and incorporation--are still considered today and paved the way for future anthropologists and mythologists to ground their work.
Rather archaic, but fundamental in its foundations.
Rather archaic, but fundamental in its foundations.
August 30, 2023
Seminal study, dated but still relevant, fascinating overview of a complex subject. Second reading: comprehensive discourse of and with diverse examples.
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March 14, 2024eşik kavramının içini oyarken keyifli akşam okumaları 🤎
January 9, 2025
Great intro. Slightly outdated obv but it increases appetite and gives bit of a foundation to go further.
November 7, 2025
ciekawe a zarazem obrzydliwe
August 6, 2016
The Rites of Passage exhibits 3-fold liminality as concept of pattern elsewhere in tribal culture. Separation, transition, and incorporation (In his terms; pre-liminal, liminal, and post liminal). 4 rating was given for Gennep's rich description about tribal rites. It almost felt like reading a fantasy story, minus any narrative intention or sentimental value (You wish). It is the best to see this book as ethnography journal as it stands for, rather than an architectural study (which I vainly tried).
Architectural-wise, liminality is concept being brought to spatial activites everywhere, when a place functioned as transitional passage into a new place.
the book offers rites as sequential pattern that by looking at it in right way, it could, for example being used as tool in design procedure. For example the rites examine 3 parti of spatial position, exclusion, liminal, and incorporation, which can be placed in a design to increase sense of actor experiences about themshelves. But alas, more relatable knowledge and skill is needed before it falls into ilusory correlation. Nevertheless, general analogy of Van Gennep's ritual pattern is still proven to be relevant in design.
So the answer of, why was my ethno-architecture lecturer recommended this book is now being brought to light. The book sublimely talks about space. Somewhere in the place where there is no law and concept of morality is extraneous to ours, architecture was not a part of cultural expression. It was substance of rites, a full-functioned theater which orchestrates their life, at least in our perspective. They might not realized it, yet as depicted in Architecture without architect, it only visually interesting for us.
Gennep never talks about architectural output such as decorative ornament or the likes, he took more general example as "line drawn with ox blood" as mere transitional symbol, which represent basic idea of gateway. He pounds liminality in examples, and proves that there is finite pattern in each transition.
I love part about The Funeral and initiation rites. The chapters easily being most interesting component of the book. We are aware little about transition in term of tribal as well as in our urban space. We encounter space but we rarely experience liminal space because everything is pointed and contextualy should-be-fulfilling. So far, the book adjust my view about importance of liminality, wether we spatially in doubt and yet we have chances to choose.
Architectural-wise, liminality is concept being brought to spatial activites everywhere, when a place functioned as transitional passage into a new place.
the book offers rites as sequential pattern that by looking at it in right way, it could, for example being used as tool in design procedure. For example the rites examine 3 parti of spatial position, exclusion, liminal, and incorporation, which can be placed in a design to increase sense of actor experiences about themshelves. But alas, more relatable knowledge and skill is needed before it falls into ilusory correlation. Nevertheless, general analogy of Van Gennep's ritual pattern is still proven to be relevant in design.
So the answer of, why was my ethno-architecture lecturer recommended this book is now being brought to light. The book sublimely talks about space. Somewhere in the place where there is no law and concept of morality is extraneous to ours, architecture was not a part of cultural expression. It was substance of rites, a full-functioned theater which orchestrates their life, at least in our perspective. They might not realized it, yet as depicted in Architecture without architect, it only visually interesting for us.
Gennep never talks about architectural output such as decorative ornament or the likes, he took more general example as "line drawn with ox blood" as mere transitional symbol, which represent basic idea of gateway. He pounds liminality in examples, and proves that there is finite pattern in each transition.
I love part about The Funeral and initiation rites. The chapters easily being most interesting component of the book. We are aware little about transition in term of tribal as well as in our urban space. We encounter space but we rarely experience liminal space because everything is pointed and contextualy should-be-fulfilling. So far, the book adjust my view about importance of liminality, wether we spatially in doubt and yet we have chances to choose.
August 20, 2007
Man, what would my dissertation be without this book, I even stole from the title.
March 7, 2022
Rites of Passage is a taxonomy of rites, rituals and ceremonies across the globe insofar as they ritualize kinds of passages. Van Gennep has two overarching purposes: to show that certain kinds of rites are universal because certain types of transitions are universal (e.g. every human society experiences pregnancy, maturation, death), and to correct the limited understanding of rituals by other anthropologists (e.g. Frazen) who failed to consider the role of rituals in managing such transitions.
Of course, this is an old book. I do not know how much to trust the anthropological casework van Gennep is drawing on. Nor are the theoretical debates current (though van Gennep informs later anthropologists, like Victor Turner, and so can be worth reading as historical background). Van Gennep also spends a bit less time than I would like trying to explain why the societies he considers might have developed the rites he describes: there's not much theory to this taxonomy. Still, these lead to the book being a much easier read than one would expect and in fact to be positively enjoyable as a catalogue of curiosities.
Of course, this is an old book. I do not know how much to trust the anthropological casework van Gennep is drawing on. Nor are the theoretical debates current (though van Gennep informs later anthropologists, like Victor Turner, and so can be worth reading as historical background). Van Gennep also spends a bit less time than I would like trying to explain why the societies he considers might have developed the rites he describes: there's not much theory to this taxonomy. Still, these lead to the book being a much easier read than one would expect and in fact to be positively enjoyable as a catalogue of curiosities.
October 12, 2022
This book talks about the different rites of passage found around the world. This book was a quick and easy read compared to other anthropological books I've read which can be very dense. The stages of life that he covered in this book are Pregnancy and childbirth, birth and childhood, initiation rites, marriage, and funerals. One thing that I enjoyed about this book is that he didn't focus solely on third-world societies, he also brought up Europeans and Catholics in his book as well. Even though this book was published in 1908, the fact that he included a lot of the women's perspectives in this is great. So many times in early anthropology women are pushed to the side because "women don't contribute to culture". If you love learning about other cultures like I do or you're a budding anthropologist, this is a must-read and a permanent book on your shelf!
April 2, 2020
We have ethnographer Arnold Van Gennep to thank for the term 'rite of passage'. First published in French in 1909, and translated into English in 1960, his titular landmark work systematically compared those ceremonies--or rites of passage--that celebrate an individual’s transition from one status to another within a given society. Newer editions likely have added info that provides context on its influence.
I finally finished this interesting read (begun 2 years ago) as part of offshoot-ish research for my next historical fiction novel set in late antiquity Middle East... because #tribal =)
I finally finished this interesting read (begun 2 years ago) as part of offshoot-ish research for my next historical fiction novel set in late antiquity Middle East... because #tribal =)
March 10, 2022
Interesting reading, mainly because it was the trope namer of several concepts like "rite of passage" and "liminality," and was an inspiration for Joseph Campbell's monomyth, but pseudoscientific (still worshipping at the altar of psychoanalysis, a bad habit for a purported anthropologist) and burdened with the prejudices of its time when it came to labeling some cultures primitive, others semicivilized, etc. One star for historic relevance, the second star because, as bad as it is in terms of accuracy, I read it seeking inspiration on narrative structure and it worked well for that purpose.
January 4, 2023
starting your reading year while putting together a lit review be like
van gennep's actual theories about transitional rites is really interesting, and i think is even more interesting when reconceptualised in contemporary contexts. like, what are the rites of passage for the contemporary queer person?
but also, this was written in 1909 and van gennep, who gathers all his data from 19th and early 20th century white ethnographers, just says shit????? like he just states things that are objectively wrong and they published it??? old academia is so wild and also literally so racist
van gennep's actual theories about transitional rites is really interesting, and i think is even more interesting when reconceptualised in contemporary contexts. like, what are the rites of passage for the contemporary queer person?
but also, this was written in 1909 and van gennep, who gathers all his data from 19th and early 20th century white ethnographers, just says shit????? like he just states things that are objectively wrong and they published it??? old academia is so wild and also literally so racist
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July 31, 2023Every culture has rites of passage. In The Rites of Passage, Arnold van Gannep seeks to explain the commonalities and differences between the rites of passage in cultures across the planet. I was first introduced to the work while reading William Bridges’ Managing Transitions. It’s appropriate, because Bridges uses the same model for change and transition that he saw in rites of passage.
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May 19, 2024
Relatively easy read on different types of rituals. Accessible even if you don't know anthropology.
I'm reading up on liminality, a concept suggested by the author in this book, but the work is larger and richer than that. For me it added a different view on the small rituals I do in my daily life and am not sure why, and the places where this is no ritual and maybe should be (Sunday evenings before school/work, for example). A lot of fun things to ponder here.
For those interested in what seems like a timeless popular book on anthropology, recommended.
I'm reading up on liminality, a concept suggested by the author in this book, but the work is larger and richer than that. For me it added a different view on the small rituals I do in my daily life and am not sure why, and the places where this is no ritual and maybe should be (Sunday evenings before school/work, for example). A lot of fun things to ponder here.
For those interested in what seems like a timeless popular book on anthropology, recommended.
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April 26, 2025read for research on a term paper. fascinating book, and i especially liked the commentary on the significance of life transitions. last paragraph is particularly lovely:
“Finally, the series of human transitions has, among some peoples, been linked to the celestial passages, the revolutions of the planets, and the phases of the moon. It is indeed a cosmic conception that relates the stages of human existence to those of plant and animal life and, by a sort of pre-scientific divination, joins them to the great rhythms of the universe.”
“Finally, the series of human transitions has, among some peoples, been linked to the celestial passages, the revolutions of the planets, and the phases of the moon. It is indeed a cosmic conception that relates the stages of human existence to those of plant and animal life and, by a sort of pre-scientific divination, joins them to the great rhythms of the universe.”
January 24, 2025
un poco lo que dijo Frazer en la rama dorada sobre la magia homeopática y contagiosa pero con otros nombres
si tengo que resaltar la atribución que le da a lo mágico-religioso y como la magia no opera de manera opuesta ni separada de la religión más si de forma complementaria
me gustó pensar en que todos los cambios de la vida por mas pequeños que sean llevan consigo un rito de paso supongo que para no enfrentarnos a una realidad tan terrible de forma tan inmediata
si tengo que resaltar la atribución que le da a lo mágico-religioso y como la magia no opera de manera opuesta ni separada de la religión más si de forma complementaria
me gustó pensar en que todos los cambios de la vida por mas pequeños que sean llevan consigo un rito de paso supongo que para no enfrentarnos a una realidad tan terrible de forma tan inmediata
December 17, 2023
Başlangıç kısmı, alana akademik açıdan uzak olan okuyucular adına biraz teknik detaylar içerse de ilerleyen sayfalarda çok kısa süre içerisinde kendinizi kaptıracağınız, toplumlara, onların yaşam biçimlerine, geleneklerine ve değerlerine çok farklı bakış açıları kazanabileceğiniz, ufuk açıcı, muazzam bir metin.
November 17, 2024
A seminal work that’s both accessible and insightful.
Liminality is a concept I frequently reference in my coursework, with it offering insight into transitional states on individuals in a societal system.
What is most surprising to me is how applicable the concept of a “rite” is to modern frameworks involving organisational change.
Liminality is a concept I frequently reference in my coursework, with it offering insight into transitional states on individuals in a societal system.
What is most surprising to me is how applicable the concept of a “rite” is to modern frameworks involving organisational change.
June 19, 2019
I picked this book up because it was constantly being referenced by the various other authors I was reading regarding Rites of Passage. It's definitely an academic read, but well worth the time. It gave me a good bird's eye picture of rites of passage across cultures and themes.
April 14, 2024
This is where the phrase originates
I only rececently learned of van Gennep. There’s reason for that: Émile Durkheim, who prevented him from getting an academic post. This work as well as others demonstrate that he prevailed despite the formidable opposition.
I only rececently learned of van Gennep. There’s reason for that: Émile Durkheim, who prevented him from getting an academic post. This work as well as others demonstrate that he prevailed despite the formidable opposition.
March 28, 2019
totally outstanding
June 20, 2019
must to be interactive
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews