Global Differences in Lifespan Development
Coming of age signifies the transition that a young person undergoes to be regarded an adult and not a child. These changes mostly transpire during the adolescent period of life. The exact age at which the transition occurs varies from society to society as well as the nature of changes and has impacts on the lifespan development of a community. This change can be as simple as a legal convention or may involve spiritual and rituals events as depicted by different societies. In the past, many communities signified the coming of age when one attained sexual maturity (early adolescences), while others associated this stage with a period of moral accountability ("Coming of Age | Occasions 4 Us", 2018). In western culture, the coming of age in which one is regarded to be mature or an adult occurs between the age of 18 and 21 when adolescents are not considered as minor and can be granted the full responsibilities and rights. The legal conventions are the primary focus in this transition. In any case, this phase is usually influenced by culture, religion, and nationality. The prime focus of this article will be a comparison between the coming of age in US (United States) and Asian countries.
Religious Comparison
The US societies are dominated mainly by Christianity, although currently atheism and other religions are as well present. In different Western Christian churches, young adults celebrate their coming of age with the Confirmation Sacrament. This is usually conducted by a priest who lay hands on the forehead of these young persons that are in most cases between the ages of twelve to fifteen years. This event typically involves marking them with a seal of the Holy Spirit. In some denominations, this occasion usually ends with one adopting a confirmation name that is included in their Christian name (Heng, 2010). In other Christian denominations, the young adults are baptized on a voluntary decision when they reach the age of accountability, while others may withhold the right to partake the Holy Communion until one attains a prescribed time of life.
In Asian states, especially those practicing Buddhism, young boy typically below the age of 20 assume a ritual in which they are introduced into the Sanctuary as Apprentice Monks. They usually sojourn in the Temple for between three days and three years (Heng, 2010). This occasion is conducted on a yearly basis and mostly occur during the rainy season between July and October. At this stage, the boys experience the rigidities of a conventional Buddhist monastic lifestyle. This life mainly involves absolute nonviolence, fasting between noon and the sunrise of the following day, celibacy and formal voluntary poverty. After living this phase (the novitiate monastic life), a boy who is regarded to have come of age undergoes ordination where he is ordained as a monk or returns to establish his life (Manderson & Liamputtong, 2002). Men who have finished this process are regarded ready for adult married life. In southern Asia nations where this practices is rampant, women often refuse to marry a man who fails to go through this phase.
Cultural Comparison
Cultural differences have always influenced the development of a community. With variations in geographical setting, seasons and traditional beliefs, the transition from childhood to adulthood has continually involved different activities and rituals in commemorating the process based on gender ("Coming of Age | Occasions 4 Us", 2018). For instance, circumcision of the male child in some communities can signify the transition while in others it may be performed but not as a transitional process.
Although religion has for a long time provided the passage for the transition between childhood and adulthood, at the moment some states and freethinkers societies are arranging camps and courses for the transitional process in which the prospective young adults study personal, ethical and social classes that can be rendered vital for the adult life. The main aim is usually to prepare an adolescent for his or her adult life. The drive toward the establishment of such a transition was propelled when non-religious individuals wanted a rite of passage that was comparable to the Christian confirmation. At present, this practice is common in some states in Asia as well as in the United States. For instance, in the US, networks of the ethical movement conduct such transitions for members who have attained 14 years in which after spending a year attending works and community service activities, which relate to adulthood, the young adults in the company of their guardians speak before a congregation about their experiences and growth.
Other common secular transitions that mark adulthood involve allowing these groups to obtain a driving license and therefore permitted to drive, and continuation or advancement in education. According to some cultures in the US such as Latin Americans, when a girl attains the age of 15, her family organize an expensive celebration whereas, for boys, no formal transitional ritual is performed. However, at the age of 18, one is viewed as an adult, who can participate in voting and can legally use drugs such as cigarettes and alcohol. When a girl reaches the age of 16 in North America, she conducts a sweet sixteen birthday celebration while in the US and some states, one is permitted to drive and can own a car. He or she is also capable of donating blood ("Coming of Age | Occasions 4 Us", 2018). In attaining the age of 18 one can vote and joins the military. However, the legal age of alcohol, recreational marijuana and tobacco use and purchase is 21. The utilization of marijuana for recreational purpose is only permitted in some states.
In Japan, the age of majority since 1948 has been 20. As a result, a person who has not attained 20 years is not allowed to smoke or use alcohol. Furthermore, persons below the age of 20 were not permitted to vote until June 2016. Nonetheless, a coming of age ceremony is usually conducted on the second Monday of January, in which the young men and women in transit are taken to a government building where different speakers communicate to them (Heng, 2010). In Korea, once a person attains the age of 19, he or she is given exclusive rights in which one is allowed to drive, use alcohol and vote. Similarly to Japan, there has been a traditional ceremony for coming of age in the third week Monday of May.
In summary, the coming of age is a crucial activity that has proved paramount all around the globe. Although these practices differ from one state to another, they all share a common similarity which is the transition of an individual from childhood to adulthood. With this transition, a person accrues responsibilities and rights as well as a change in behavioral conducts and can join in the development of the country. Similarly, the working age in which one is regarded as productive is signified by this transition. Diversity has been among the factors influencing the coming of age in the United States.
References
Coming of Age | Occasions 4 Us. (2018). Occasions 4 Us. Retrieved 5 April 2018, from http://occasions4.us/coming-of-age/
Heng, M. S. (2010). State and secularism: perspectives from Asia. World Scientific.
Manderson, L., & Liamputtong, P. (Eds.). (2002). coming of age in South and Southeast Asia: youth, courtship and sexuality (No. 30). Psychology Press.