Rites of passage as the basis of programme development for young people at risk in South Africa

Van Eden, Karen

Rites of passage as the basis of programme development for young people at risk in South Africa

Master Thesis

1998

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Institute of Criminology

Faculty

Faculty of Law

Abstract

In traditional indigenous communities, rites of passage provide a binding and supportive function which facilitates the transition of young people from childhood to adulthood. However, in contemporary western society transition rites have largely been forgotten or neglected and this loss has resulted in a hunger for initiation which adolescents often attempt to satisfy by using means which are socially unacceptable. This study attempts to understand the mechanisms which lead adolescents into socially unacceptable behaviour by exploring the potential for using the notion of de-labelling as the basis of intercepting and transforming juvenile deviance. As such, rites of passage are explored from the perspectives of a range of social scientific theories in order to assess the value in these processes tor young people at risk in South Africa. The central findings of this study suggest that it is possible to reinstate rites of passage in the form of a de-labelling programme, but that there is a need to go beyond an isolated programme by providing more systemic containment of young people in the form of community support and mentoring.

Description

Bibliography: pages 202-207.

Keywords

Criminology

Initiation rites

Reference:

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