WELLBEING
R I T E S O F P A S S A G E |
R I T E S O F
P A S S A G E R I T E S
O F P A S S A G E
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R I T E S O F P A S S A |
G E R I T E S O F P A S S A G E R I T E S O F P A S S A G E |
Dr Mahon also identified ‘ rites of passage ’ as an important focus . Ethnographer Van Gennep ( 1960 ) is known for establishing this cultural anthropological term through his studies of the rites of passage of various cultures . Gennep compared ceremonies that celebrate an individual ’ s transition from one status to another . Exams are an obvious rite of passage , and not just the graduation ceremony alone . Pupils were asking ‘ How can my teachers set my grades ?’ ‘ How can I finish school without writing my last essays ?’ In her talk , Dr Mahon noted :
‘ Whether you know it or not your exams were your time of reckoning . In a mythological , symbolic , and deeply human way you need to test yourself to feel like you ’ re ready for the next stage of your life . Exams are the core of our culture ’ s rite of passage from youth to maturity .’
Dr Mahon explained to our pupils what rites of passages are , what they do for us psychologically and socially , and importantly how to try to get the same effect for themselves without going through exams . Describing the common features of rites of passage , she notes they allow us to leave an old role , undergo a trial , and re-emerge in a new , higher status , role . By suggesting different strategies for producing the same social and psychological effects ( of developing self-reliance , readiness for next stage of life , a feeling of legitimacy , a sense of belonging ), Dr Mahon emphasised the importance of continuing to plan for transition , without going through the exams and finishing the school year as anticipated .
These talks were released over a number of weeks starting at the start of the Summer Term and have been a fantastic resource . They have all been posted on our internal Pastoral Care pages , accessible to Sevenoaks staff at https :// sevenoaksschool . fireflycloud . net / pastoral-care-home-learning
They were also made available to parents who have been very appreciative of the insight and support they have provided . Students have been helped to intellectually understand the emotional processes they are going through , and had an opportunity to learn about how we progress through change .
As educators , we are not able to minimise the uncertainty of living through this pandemic . However , we have been able to locate resources and suggest tools for our students to help them process their feelings and navigate these unprecedented times .
References
Berinato , S . ( 2020 ) That Discomfort You ’ re Feeling Is Grief . The Harvard Business Review . Available at : https :// hbr . org / 2020 / 03 / that-discomfort-yourefeeling-is-grief ( accessed 08.10.20 ).
Gennep , A . V . ( 1960 ) The Rites of Passage . University of Chicago Press . Kubler-Ross , E . ( 1969 ) On death and dying . New York : Macmillan .
Prochaska , J ., and DiClemente , C . ( 1983 ) Stages and processes of self-change of smoking : toward an integrative model of change . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 51 ( 3 ), 390 – 395 .
Mahon , J ( 2020 ) Available at : https :// jennifermahon . com / ( accessed 08.10.20 ).
Simetricia-Jacobs and LSE ( 2020 ) The Wellbeing Costs of COVID-19 in the U . K . Available at : https :// www . jacobs . com / sites / default / files / 2020-05 / jacobswellbeing-costs-of-covid-19-uk . pdf ( accessed 08.10.20 ).
University of Oxford ( March 2020 ) New research Seeks to Tackle Impact of COVID-19 on Children and Young People ’ s Mental Health . Available at : https :// www . psych . ox . ac . uk / news / new-research-seeks-to-tackle-impact-ofcovid-19-on-young-people2019s-mental-health ( accessed 08.10.20 ).
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