At every stage of life the rituals both join and separate the sexes. Our masculinity and femininity are emphasized at every such step. A step in to adulthood is celebrated in some way in almost all corners of the world. The very first ritual humans had together is probably related to food. When we went from eating vegetables (which is rather selfish eating if you think of animals who eats grass and the like) to eating meat it became important to share and eat together. ** Does society treat men and women differently? You may not like the unsettling answers you'll find in "Passages of Life". Compare the way different cultures deal with boys and girls as they grow up. Some believe male circumcision began as an ancient Egyptian snake worship ritual to ensure immortality. In the Middle East, puberty brings a girl her first veil; in Yemen, a boy his first grown-up dagger. Watch young women turned into ladies at an etiquette school in England, and young men turned into killers by the U.S. Marine Corps. Witness a marriage celebration in a small Greek village - where a dowry still makes a difference. Passages of Life might make you feel better about growing up... or worse.
