Final answer:
Rites of passage are special rituals that mark a person's or group of persons' transition from one social state to another. These rituals are commonly associated with significant life events such as birth, puberty, marriage, and death.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rites of passage are special rituals that mark a person's or group of persons' transition from one social state to another. These rituals are commonly associated with significant life events such as birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Anthropologist Arnold van Gennep identified three stages in a rite of passage: separation, transition, and incorporation. During the transition stage, individuals undergo a liminal period in which they exist in an in-between state outside of conventional norms. They may undergo special instructions, engage in unusual behaviors, and acquire secret knowledge. In the final stage of incorporation, individuals are reintegrated into society in a formal ceremony and assume the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of their new social status.