The experience of childhood and youth is framed by the perceptions of what childhood and youth should be, as defined by the culture, wider society, in which the child/youth is located. This means that what childhood/ youth is, varies from culture to culture, wider society to wider society, geographic region to geographic region, and from time period to time period within those cultures, societies and regions. It is not a ‘natural’ ‘biological’ phase of human life fixed like a fly trapped in wax. The concept of childhood and youth is, on the contrary, fluid, changing in meaning, what is considered appropriate behaviour, how long it lasts over time periods. History, the study of other cultures different to our own, travel, illustrates this sometimes in surprising ways.
Individuals, communities, people like us, create ideas about how childhood/youth should look like and then the more influential in our midst proceed to shape the structures with the intent of moulding and affirming the desired behaviour of such children/youth. As James, A. and James, A. l. (2004:13) state in Constructing Childhood: Theory, Policy and Social Practice, ‘ ‘Childhood’ cannot be regarded as an unproblematic descriptor of a natural biological phase. Rather the idea of childhood must be seen as a particular cultural phrasing of the early part of the life course, historically and politically contingent and subject to change.’’
In addition, how we view children and youth and how we relate to them, ‘…necessarily shape children’s experience of being a child and therefore, their own responses to and engagement with the adult world.’ How childhood and youth therefore is understood and socially institutionalised by adults will vary across generations and cultures, and affect relationships between children, young people and adults.
Our histories as Black men wherever we are geographically located and its impact over generations and our knowledge and understanding of that and the responses to it of ourselves and our ancestors, will inevitably have an impact on how we see childhood and youth. How we feel they should be prepared for the world they have entered into and how we should undertake that process of readiness of our youth for manhood.
Manhood, like Childhood and Youth, is also a fluid description, changing over time and between geographic locations, cultures, society to society. When using such terms we need to be mindful of the evolving meanings attached over time, changing expectations and seeking to explore where such requirements, hopes, come from.
It is always useful when talking about individual lives to start with what we individually know from direct experience-or think we know. Our own personal experience, the experience of others, whether observed directly or read about, seen in films, heard about. In this six part series we will cover all those areas where the direct experience of Youth emerging into Manhood is outlined as is the direct experience and motivations of Black men seeking to guide their Youth in the direction of Manhood.
Life at times is rather vague, the pathways we wish to travel are often unclear, foggy, difficult to navigate, lots of turnings and no directions as to which way to turn to arrive at the destination sought. What to do? Use what resources you have to hand-what you know, what advice you have taken from others that has worked for them and may work for you, and what you think may work for the individual you seek to assist. Such is parenting, mentoring, teaching, befriending and guiding youth forward: Using your informed self and hoping for the best. Such is life.
Manhood is rarely defined and described and usually has only one guideline-the legal definition of that age when you become an Adult or where such a qualification is not used, how you look, or ‘should’ look, as a man. There are no legal definitions of when you become a Youth. Childhood usually includes Youth and that ends at Adulthood, associated with Manhood. As stated earlier the age of adulthood changes in society from one time period to another. For example in my lifetime, adulthood in the United Kingdom, before the Second World War (1939-1945) was reached at 14 years of age. Immediately after the Second World War, the age of adulthood was raised to 15 years of age. As adulthood dawns, the expectation was that you took total responsibility for yourself, had a job, found your own accommodation, take command of your life, lived independently. Since 1945 the age of adulthood has changed several more times. Now, in 2018, readers would be aghast at what would be considered still an age of childhood or youth, being regarded as adulthood. Remember, Childhood, Youth, Adulthood/Manhood, evolves in time, changes depending on circumstances, politically, socially, constructed by individuals like you and me. Not fixed in stone biologically. Not naturally obvious. Created by society. In many instances arbitrary, plucked from the air.
Let us look at one example of where a culture, society, attempts to illustrate ritually how Youth navigate their way to Adulthood. This is a culture where there is no legal definition of adulthood. The culture in question is the Xhosa in South Africa. There have been rituals created for generations in Africa that mark and celebrate the transition of Black Youth to Manhood. ULWALUKO, Xhosa initiation rituals, purposely, shrouded in mystery, including circumcision, have been looked upon favourably in other parts of the world, but do carry medical risks. A Xhosa man cannot legitimately claim to be a man without undertaking the ritual. The process includes teaching Youth how to carry themselves pridefully in society, how to defend themselves physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially; how to contribute to advancing their society, and how to care for themselves and others. The Ingredients of the society understanding of what manhood means are explicit, and have to be demonstrated by the ritual participants and authenticated by those in charge of the process, and when judged satisfactory, the Youth are ceremoniously elevated to Manhood. The ritual process is carried out in secret and is exclusively for males.
The initiation ceremony came to National and International attention a few weeks ago as a major film was released in South Africa, titled INXEBA (The Wound), that sought to illustrate some features of the ritual and added a fictional story about attraction between two of the young participants that resulted in some negative attention and there was an attempt to stop the screening of the film in Johannesburg a few days before its release. The South African Government body with the authority to pronounce on such matters of culture and rights, The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission), overruled the objections. The film has been Nationally and Internationally acclaimed since its release and won a number of major awards.
In Journeys from Black Youth to Black Manhood Part 2 next week, I shall outline my personal journey from Youth to Manhood. It involves the State being my parent for some 19 years after abandonment at three months of age by my absent father and a mother who could not handle being a parent, and growing up throughout my childhood and youth in its care. How did I become the man I am today parented by an institution noted for its absence of insight into the lived lives of Black people? Next week I shall attempt to explain.