When the boys returned home, they were no longer boys, but men. Albeit, they were young men and were expected to make some mistakes, they still had the responsibilities of every other man. Kalas continues to explain that, as society has progressed, the rite of passage has slowly been exorcised from our culture. The term was initially used for classification purposes, but now people think of it as a stage in growing up. While a young person is in adolescence, parents and educators stress the importance of getting an education, graduating high school and going to college.
Work is presented as second to learning.
While this is a good philosophy for education, it conflicts with the natural instincts that work inside the adolescent's head. Because adolescence feels so pointless, teens naturally start feeling depressed, Kalas explains. Any extended period of meaninglessness leads to depression. Many kids have moved multiple times and they live far away from other relatives. They are less connected to their neighborhood and community, and they feel more isolated.