Liminality
Ambiguous threshold state in rites of passage.
Liminality, from Latin 'limen' meaning 'threshold', is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. The concept was first developed in the early twentieth century by folklorist Arnold van Gennep and later taken up by Victor Turner. More recently, usage of the term has broadened to describe political and cultural change as well as rites.
- field
- Anthropology
- known_for
- Concept of liminality in rites of passage
- originator
- Arnold van Gennep
- key_contributor
- Victor Turner
- core_idea
- Three-fold sequential structure of rites: preliminal, liminal, postliminal
Lore & Background
He identified a three-fold sequential structure: preliminal rites (separation), liminal rites (transition), and postliminal rites (incorporation). Van Gennep also suggested four categories of social rites of passage: passage from one status to another, from one place to another, from one situation to another, and passage of time. He considered rites of initiation to be the most typical rite. Turner made connections between tribal and non-tribal societies, sensing that what he argued for the Ndembu in Zambia had relevance far beyond that specific ethnographic context. He worked on the idea of communitas, the feeling of camaraderie among a group experiencing the same liminal experience, defining three forms: spontaneous, ideological, and normative communitas.
Reader's Guide
Liminality is significant in anthropology as a foundational concept for understanding rites of passage and social transformation. Van Gennep identified a universal three-part structure in rituals that mark transitions, challenging anthropologists' tendency to focus on cultural diversity over universality. Turner expanded the concept beyond small-scale societies, applying it to understand human reactions to in-between periods, including the dissolution of social hierarchies and the possibility of new perspectives. The term has since broadened into popular usage to describe political and cultural change, as well as liminoid experiences relevant to post-industrial society. During liminal periods, social hierarchies may be reversed or temporarily dissolved, continuity of tradition may become uncertain, and future outcomes once taken for granted may be thrown into doubt. The dissolution of order creates a fluid, malleable situation that enables new institutions and customs to become established. Turner posited that all liminality must eventually dissolve, as it is a state of great intensity that cannot exist very long without some sort of structure to stabilize it.
Did You Know?
- The term liminality comes from the Latin word 'limen', meaning 'threshold'.
- Victor Turner defined three forms of communitas: spontaneous, ideological, and normative.
- During liminal periods, social hierarchies may be reversed or temporarily dissolved.
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