Many societies practice rites of passage, ceremonies to mark the onset of adulthood. Typically these ceremonies are different for males and females. Even though the ceremonies vary greatly from one society to another, there are a couple of common elements among them. One is that the ceremonies are usually quite dramatic, sometimes even brutal, far more dramatic than graduation or obtaining a driver’s license, which serve as rites of passage in western society.
Perhaps the most important characteristic of these rites of passage ceremonies is that they take place in the presence of a significant number of the people. The adults simultaneously begin to treat the
initiate as an adult and expect him or her to behave in that way. In a short time, the new adult catches on and fulfills the expectations that the group has for adults.