Rites of Passage and Adolescent Development

Flashcards covering vocabulary from lecture notes on Rites of Passage and Adolescent Development.

Confirmation

Occurs in Western Christianity when a child reaches the age of reason or early adolescence.

Age of Reason/Discretion

The age at which children attain the use of reason and begin to have moral responsibility.

Quinceañera

Celebration of a girl's 15th birthday with cultural roots in Mexico, Spain, and Latin America.

Debutante Ball

A ritual that flourished from 1780 to 1914 where girls are presented to vetted company to prevent bad marriages.

Vision Quest

A series of ceremonies led by elders in Native American cultures, including a fast at a sacred site, to seek a vision for their purpose in life.

Puberty

Physical changes that mark the transition from childhood to young adulthood, including bodily changes and sexual maturation.

Myelination

Acquisition of fatty insulation that makes neurons transmit information faster.

Synaptic Pruning

Weeding out of unnecessary connections between neurons.

Menarche

The onset of menstruation, typically occurring around age 13.

Spermarche

First spontaneous ejaculation of sperm-laden fluid.

Primary Sex Characteristics

Organs directly involved in reproduction.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Physical signs of maturity not directly linked to the reproductive organs.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

An adjusted ratio of weight to height used to indicate body fat and obesity.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The speed at which the body consumes calories.

Anorexia Nervosa

A disorder marked by a persistent refusal to eat and an irrational fear of being overweight.

Bulimia Nervosa

Involves alternating between binge-eating periods and purging through self-induced vomiting or with laxatives.

Preconventional Level

Moral reasoning based on external forces to avoid punishment or receive rewards.

Obedience Orientation

Authority figures are conformed to in order to avoid punishment or receive rewards.

Instrumental Orientation

People look out for their own self-interest and try to maximize long term outcomes.

Conventional Level

adolescents and adults look to what is “typical” and “common” in society.

Interpersonal Norms

Moral reasoning is based on winning the approval of others.

Social System Morality

adolescents and adults believe that social roles, expectations, and laws exist to maintain order within society and to promote the good of all people.

Postconventional Level

moral reasoning is based on a personal moral code.

Social Contract

You understand the idea behind - that is the reasons behind why we submit some of our freedoms for maintenance of social order.

Universal Ethical Principles

abstract principles such as justice, compassion, and equality form the basis of a personal code that may sometimes conflict with society’s expectations and laws.

Theory of Justice

a society in which the most fortunate help the least fortunate is not only a moral society but a logical one

Underlying Assumption

Key Terms regarding Rites of Passage and Adolescent Development