Sorority Rituals - Reflections On Rites of ... - Mari Ann Callais

development. The isolation period allows the child to adapt to the enlarged adult body,
the reproductively mature body, and the new sense of self into a unified person (p. 28).
Stage 3: Reentry to Society as an Adult - Non-Western cultures celebrate reentry in a
clear ritual of new status, often including change in clothes, jewelry, scarification, and
name. In years past, completion of high school combined with first job, or completion of
college combined with first job, marriage, and independent residence together constituted
a ritual of adulthood in the society (p. 29).
In United States culture, neither young men nor women who have reached sexual
maturity have any rituals to celebrate this crucial awakening in their lives (Driver, 1991). As a
result, the only way for them to acknowledge this longing for a ritual is to become sexually
active. He challenges that people who either ignore rituals or rites of passage or view them
negatively fail to see why they are so important for many individuals.
Like Newton (1995), Driver (1991) discusses the concept of rites of passage and how
today’s span of transition from adolescence to adulthood has increased. Both authors assert that
legal definitions of adulthood and traditional definitions of adults’ developmental theories may
not always be the same. During the period from 18 to approximately 23 years of age, individuals
have been declared legal adults with certain rites and privileges such as the right to vote, sign
legal documents or to be tried as an adult if one has committed a crime (Newton, 1995). Other
issues, such as the legal drinking age being raised from 18 to 21 causes confusion within young
adults. Working with college students, I constantly hear “If I can vote, fight for my country, and
be tried as an adult, why can’t I drink at 18 years of age?"
Defining when a person is an "adult" or "young adult" is often marked by the privileges
that are given or bestowed upon them whether it be by society, the government, their religion,
families, organizations and friends. If the expectation is that members of a sorority are expected
to mature, then their environment must allow them to take responsibility and learn how to
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