the action of beginning something or admitting someone into a group or organization
from Latin 'initiare' meaning 'to begin', from 'initium' (beginning), from 'inire' (to go into)
From fraternity hazing to spiritual ceremonies, initiation marks the moment you cross from outsider to insider. It's literally about 'going into' something new - a group, a practice, or a new phase of life!
Initiation rites historically enforced gender segregation and masculine hazing norms, with women excluded from leadership initiations and subjected to different (often sexual) threshold rituals. The language encodes presumed maleness in formal/professional contexts.
When discussing group admissions, specify the ritual/criteria explicitly rather than assuming masculine norms. Use 'onboarding,' 'membership conferral,' or 'formal entry' to avoid gendered implication.
["onboarding","membership conferral","induction ceremony","formal entry"]
Women anthropologists (e.g., Barbara Babcock, Mary Douglas) documented how initiation rituals reinforce power hierarchies; their work reframed initiation as political, not just ceremonial.
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