Reconsidering the Rites of Passage in the Concept of Initiation : From the Viewpoint of Clinical Psychology and Education

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  • イニシエーション概念における“通過性”：教育臨床の視点から
  • イニシエーション ガイネン ニ オケル"ツウカセイ" : キョウイク リンショウ ノ シテン カラ

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Abstract

The concepts of the rites of passage and initiation advocated by van Gennep are very known. They focus on the process of transformation not only in human life, but also on the process of all changing phenomena in nature and the universe. Gennep suggested that these concepts have three stages: separation, liminality, and incorporation. Today, the concept of the initiation is discussed in various fields, such as religious studies, pedagogy, clinical psychology, and anthropology. Traditional initiation proceeds through death and rebirth. Analytical psychology also emphasizes the aspect of entering a new society or stage, with a transition through the death of an old self and the rebirth of a new self. In this paper, the author reexamines the original concept of initiation and recognizes the high value of the aspect of the process of passage in initiation from the viewpoint of clinical psychology in school life of adolescent students. Today, adaptation classes for truant pupils have been established everywhere in Japan. It is even more important for children to spend their time safely there, even if they cannot attend their own school or make concrete achievements. In conclusion, as children spend their time in those classes, they may experience abandonment and a“small" initiation, a passage from an old self into the new self, as others offer them psychological support.

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