Final answer:
Hazing on professional teams often makes newcomers engage in juvenile actions to establish a social hierarchy, similar to initiation rituals in some cultures, such as 'ritualized homosexuality' among the 'Sambia' in New Guinea. Yet, hazing can also involve harmful behaviors such as bullying, reflecting societal structures like expulsion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hazing on professional teams often involves forcing newcomers or rookies to engage in juvenile actions that place them in a subordinate position. Hazing practices can resemble initiation rituals, serving as a controversial means of socialization within groups. These rituals can involve a range of behaviors from the relatively harmless to the severe, sometimes crossing lines into abuse or unlawful activities.
Instances of ritualized behaviors that confer status or adulthood are found in many different cultures. For example, the anthropologist Gilbert Herdt studied the 'Sambia', a group in New Guinea, and noted their initiation rituals, which included acts of 'ritualized homosexuality.' These practices are noted as symbolic and have sparked discussion about their meaning and the applicability of Western sexual categories in understanding them.
In contrast, everyday examples of hazing may include less culturally specific and often more harmful activities. This may range from bullying to enforcing arbitrary and demeaning tasks, with the intent of establishing a hierarchy within the team or organization.
Such behavior often reflects and reinforces wider societal structures and issues, such as the concept of expulsion, where a dominant group forces a subordinate group to leave a certain area or society. Understanding the role of socialization, including through peers, is essential in comprehending the complexities of hazing as a social phenomenon.