Describe at least two unique rites of passage to adulthood on the basis of ethnic or cultural variations.
Cultures usually comprise of ritual ceremonies that mark the switch of from one stage of life to another. These rituals are also known as “Rites of Passage.” The rites of passage various from one society to another. One example of such a society is the indigenous society of Africa where the rites of passage from boyhood to adulthood is marked by circumcision. There is no specific age for the passage but the ritual occurs when the boy or his peers are ready for the passage. The venture is usually a life-changing event and remains a central cultural practice for the indigenous Africans.
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The modernized western world makes use of the wedding as a rite of passage. The female is separated from the unmarried women and the male is separated from other unmarried men. The female is dressed in white and is cloistered as a bride for a period of time. The man is similarly cloistered as a bridegroom for some time. The wedding marks a stage where one becomes integrated into the society as a mature person.
Explain the concepts of pluralism and assimilation and describe how they affect the rites of passage of individuals.
Pluralism is the concept where people that come from different cultures and religions come together in a society and accept different cultures and beliefs. They do not leave their beliefs but continue with their own cultures. The individual maintains their identity and stays close to what they are accustomed to. This does not affect the rites of passage of individuals as they can keep their culture and go through the rites of passage. However, some individuals can start to wonder about their culture after learning a few facts about other cultures. They can then choose not to be part of their traditional culture.
The concept of assimilation is the process where a person or group belonging to one culture adopts the practices and culture of another. Through the process of assimilation, one becomes a member of another culture. Sociologists have argued the concept of assimilation as the concept where a person or group of culture responds and blends with another culture or how a minority culture could relate with the dominant cultural group (Kivisto, 2015). Assimilation influences the two cultures because they eventually become mixed. It has an effect on the rites of passage because an individual may choose to leave their cultural rites of passage and adopt that of the dominant cultural group. This unfavorably influences the rites of passage as it becomes completely abandoned when adjusting to a different cultural group.
Describe the different attachment styles.
Attachment refers to the nature of the relationship between the child and their caregiver. This sets a tone for all future interactions and relationship patterns. There are three major types of attachment styles that include secure, anxious-resistant, and anxious avoidant (Ainsworth et al., 2015). In the secure attachment, the child uses the parent as a secure base which they can use to explore the world. However, if the parent leaves, the child becomes upset. The child is happy and comforted when the parent returns.
The anxious-resistant attachment is one where the child explores very little. They prefer to remain close to the parent becoming very upset when the parent leaves. They resist interactions with the parent upon his or her return. The anxious-avoidant is similar to the resistant type. However, the child does not appear to behave differently when they are before the parent compared to when they are around strangers.
Explain the attachment style you feel would be most effective in forming lasting relationships.
The attachment that I feel would be most effective in forming lasting relationships is that of security. One key character trait of the attachment is that the individual feels confident and has trust in the relationship. It is usually important to trust each other in a relationship so that it can be effective and work out.
Describe the different types of attraction.
There are different types of attraction that can be categorized differently in today’s society. The attractions include:
i) Sexual attraction where an individual demonstrates sexual interests towards the other person.
ii) Romantic attraction where an individual feels the need to be loved and interact romantically with the other person.
iii) Aesthetic attraction which occurs where an individual values the beauty that is found in another person.
iv) Emotional attraction which occurs due to familiarity and being fond of the other person.
v) Intellectual attraction where someone desires to become engaged intellectually with the other person.
Explain the type of attraction you feel would be most effective in establishing lasting relationships.
I feel that intellectual attraction would lead to the establishing lasting relationships. The other types of attractions usually occur for a brief time and usually come and go. For instance, sexual attraction occurs when individuals have been flirting with each other. Once the avenue is explored, one may not want to explore the avenue any longer. This can lead to an end in the relationship. Intellectual attachment can be considered eternal. If one is drawn to the other person because of the intellect, it may never fade away. However, unforeseen rare circumstances can occur leading to cognitive issues and memory loss. Unfortunately, most of the society today bases many relationships on the physical attributes such as physical attraction and sexual attraction. The society today is mostly physically focused leading to the failure of many relationships (Little et al., 2014).
References
Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. N. (2015). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation . Psychology Press.
Kivisto, P. (2015). Incorporating diversity: Rethinking assimilation in a multicultural age . Routledge.
Little, A. C., DeBruine, L. M., & Jones, B. C. (2014). Sex differences in attraction to familiar and unfamiliar opposite-sex faces: men prefer novelty and women prefer familiarity. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 43 (5), 973-981.
