How Boys Become MenA Rites Of Passage For African-American

How Boys Become Men: A Rites of Passage for African-American Boys Adolescence can be the most crucial part of a person’s development. It is the time of transition into adulthood. The experiences gathered this time of a person’s life have lasting effects that linger long into adulthood. Proper guidance and support during this time is a person’s life is essential to ensuring that the person is able to become a successful adult in society. However, many African-American youth are lacking this type of support and guidance during this critical stage in life. Disproportionately some African American male adolescents aren’t provided proper mechanisms for their transition to manhood. Some sociologists believe that the lack of a rites of†¦show more content†¦Without structural guidelines to follow, this may lead these individuals to adopt rules that may be more negative than positive. While prevalent within the African- American culture, this is expe rienced by many adolescent boys in the United States as stated within The Norton Sampler 8th Edition, â€Å"Boys live in a world with its own Code of Conduct, a set of values of ruthless, unspoken, and unyielding rules†( Katz 317). However, in American media and culture it is evident that African-American boys encounter more hardships and are more prone to making bad decisions. In order to combat this, implementation of rites of passage would suffice. One important aspect of African rites of passage is explicit guidance. Boys are signaled to begin their transition into manhood by first being separated from childhood roles and sometimes their parents (Baker, â€Å"Egbe Akokonrin Rites of Passage†). This activity would be the first step of the program and initiated by an adult who has undergone this rites of passage program previously. Consequently, each African-American boy is administered explicit guidelines and mentors to prepare them for manhood in proper manne r. These young boys are encouraged to follow positive role models, consequently establishing a culture centered around positivity. Arguably the most important step within the African rites of passage is the transition ritual. This ritual symbolizes that the young men haveShow MoreRelatedThe Moral Universe And Moral Tradition4106 Words   |  17 PagesChristianity has been enculturated by the African people to be â€Å"truly African and truly Christian†. By doing this through various practices it makes the religion profoundly colorful and vivid so that the Biblical stories and memories come to life through the village and its people. There is a resonating deep understanding by the community that their morality is steeped in their traditions and ancestral worship. 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