Rites of Passage in a Total Institution

Throughout life, individuals experience many changes in their relations to others. These changes may occur within groups of which one is already a member; they frequently occur as a result of entrance into new groups or institutions. Changes in human relations occasioned by entrance into new groups are a prelude to transitions within the institution as a person moves from one position to another. Van Gennep was the first to recognize the importance of ritual as it related to the dynamics of the individual's transition between and within groups. His theoretical formulation of rites of passage and their subdivision into rites of separation, transition, and incorporation represented an attempt to clarify the underlying similarity in the ceremonies and to demonstrate their significance in enabling the individual to pass from one defined social position to another.1

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