This article discusses initiation rites for girls. Specifically explored are the reasons why the ceremonies are observed in some societies and omitted in others and what the variations between societies demonstrates.

This article discusses two different explanations of male initiation ceremonies. Evidence is also presented that suggests that psychological conflict might strongly predict male initiation in the presence of the following catalysts: nonmatrilocal residence, nonstate political organization, and warfare.

This study explores why initiation rites for girls are observed in some societies and absent in others. Further, the author seeks to understand cross-cultural variation in the rites.

A path analytic model is presented to explain male puberty rites. The evidence presented supports the idea that as a whole, male puberty rites may be seen as the means of maintaining the bisexual nature of human society.

This paper builds on previous Austronesian dispersal research that indicated rituals and social complexity gave rise to each other, by examining if marital residence and initiation rites co-evolved during the dispersal. Using a phylogenetic test and initiation data from 79 societies, the authors found evidence that female and male initiation rites co-evolved during the dispersal and were most stable when both initiation rites were present. The authors also suggest that proto-Austronesian society probably lacked initiation rites and such rites only developed later.

Brown's (1963) three hypotheses on female puberty rites were tested. After presenting an adjustment for data quality control, the author demonstrates that Brown's (1963) relationships became insignificant. Female physiology as symbolized by menstruation is suggested as a better predictor for female puberty rites.

The purpose of this paper is to examine female puberty rites and to suggest that such rites may be explained in terms of female physiology, as symbolized, for example, by menstruation.

This article uses factor analysis to identify the key variables underlying the many cross-cultural associations reported by Textor (1967). Twelve factors are identified.

This book discusses the characteristics of adolescence cross-culturally and examines the differences in the adolescent experience for males and females. Several relationships are tested in order to gain an understanding of cross-cultural patterns in adolescence.

This book investigates a broad hypothesis linking social solidarity and initiation ceremonies. The author proposes that “the degree of solidarity of a given social system determines the degree to which status transitions within it will be dramatized” (1). A variety of operational hypotheses are supported for both male and female initiation ceremonies.