ANTH 100A Lecture 15: Nov. 18 Coming of Age
Document Summary
November 13 coming of age: transitions of a lifetime 4562 words. I am sure that all of you can remember your sixteenth birthday. It was just a little more eventful, even magical, than the one that came before, or the one immediately thereafter. In north america it implies permission to drive and that means freedom. And no doubt those of you who are 18 are very much looking forward to the next one, for at 19 something quite special happens. The state gives you license to drink, which implies the first step toward the freedom to elevate your spirit through intoxication of whatever sort you seek, for you are only human. Already in certain jurisdictions, and in a manner that would have been unimaginable in my youth, the state has completely sanctioned the smoking of marijuana, legal consumption of the evil weed. This all suggests how fluid and flexible are cultural values and meanings.
