Law, Crime & Justice

» woorama - ritualised violence and rites of passage

i think gangs stem from a need for youth initiation rituals that have been abandoned through colonialism, to the detriment of western society.

young men particularly need rites of passage and structured rituals around the use of violence. violence is a part of human nature, and there needs to be structured parts of society in which we can be warriors with minimal damage done to the community at large.

but the west has removed these indigenous structures that have served for millennia. unfortunately however, the violence remains, and so our young people are forced to seek the ritualised rigor they crave in gangs and outlets beyond our sphere of influence.

art, i would be interested to hear your views on my article about this topic, Structured Violence in aboriginal rights 101.

-- posted by woorama

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» aemontague - ritualised violence and rites of passage

I find your views insightful and have checked out your article. Here is my response:

Generally, I’m in agreement with your article on ritualized violence and rites of passage. However, rather than use the term violence, I prefer the broader term aggression, of which violence is a part, an option if you will.

Early migratory hunting societies had to be aggressive to survive. Warriors were as esteemed as a tribe’s best hunters, perhaps much the way we esteem our generals and our giants of industry. Then, as now, there were winners and losers. This suggests the good old days were about the same as contemporary times, except the geographic areas were very small, whereas now they are global.

So what makes those early times (and societies) so different and, for many, so appealing?

I believe the answer can be found in man’s changed relationship to nature, the natural order. In early times, humans considered themselves a part of nature, an order in which aggression is integral. Now, we see ourselves not only as separate from, but as the masters of nature. What we cannot control, we seek to destroy--aggression.

What has this to do with youth violence, most of which is directed toward other youth? On one hand for youth is the need to strut one’s stuff, but on the other is the authority of the state and adults. Other youths are vulnerable.

Unfortunately, a combination of factors is resulting in the violence becoming more deadly. The kids practice swarming; their authority figures practice genocide. Drive-by shootings kill innocents; authorities shrug off collateral damage. Like it or not, contemporary society still has ritualized violence, and just as in early societies, we are teaching our children well.

-- posted by aemontague

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» woorama - ritualised violence and rites of passage

In response to ritualised violence and rites of passage posted by aemontague:

art's got it right there - separation from nature is at the root of things. when i work with young men "at risk" or "troubled" or whatever, i find that if i take them out bush all their antisocial behaviours just melt away after a time.

western separation from nature and replacement with a surrogate mother of consumerism is the cause of most crime and social problems, i think. war too.

the only solution is for westerners to reclaim their indigeneity. in my experience that solution works for criminals and sick youth - so what better for a sick society?

-- posted by woorama

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