Publications:

The following publications are available through The Center. Proceeds from these materials are used to support the mission of The Center for the Advancement of Youth, Family & Community Services, our ROPE® initiatives and other programs.

To order any of these publications, please contact TheCenter@rope.org.

Rites of Passage in a World That Is Not Flat
David G. Blumenkrantz
The Systems Thinker®
Pegasus Communications
Vol.20 No.8 October 2009
We have known for hundreds of years that the world is not flat, and yet linear thinking is still pervasive in Western culture. An example of this linear orientation is the creation of programs for "fixing" societal issues. Our national policy on child development is directed to "closing the achievement gap" and "raising test scores." But what if we decided to focus again on "raising children" and not on "raising test scores"? What might be possible if the linear thinking that drives much of our education, youth and human development efforts could be shifted toward systems thinking?

Rites of passage during adolescence
The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues.
Fall 2007, Vol. 12, No. 2.
Scheer, Scott D., Gavazzi, Stephen M., The Ohio State University.  Blumenkrantz, David G., Center for the Advancement of Youth, Family, and Community Services, Inc. 
The literature on rites of passage in adolescence is reviewed, with particular attention given to the essential components for positive developmental outcomes. Three human development orientations-life course, life span, and life cycle are presented to examine.

Coming of Age and Awakening to Spiritual Consciousness through Rites of Passage
David G. Blumenkrantz, PhD & Kathryn L. Hong (2008). New Directions for Youth Development, Chapter 9 No. 118, Summer 2008. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rites of passage have been a human pathway to such spiritual consciousness for more than ten thousand years. Dr. Blumenkrantz, along with Ms. Hong, describe the history and importance of rites of passage as a critical element of youth development and offer a glimpse into practice.

Lessons from Food Franchises
David G. Blumenkrantz, Ph.D.
Lessons from Food Franchises offers another approach to impacting systems frequently entrenched and maintaining motion from their own inertia. Taking from the laws of physics and observations in real world situations, Dr. Blumenkrantz compels the readers to reconsider the traditional method of education and training for small and large order systems change. Rites of passage is used as a vehicle to help people change their thinking and hence their paradigms that restrict school reform.

“Let’s Play: Initiating Youth Into the Healthy World of Play,” Blumenkrantz, D., in Developing Competent Youth and Strong Communities Through After School Programming.
Gullotta, T. (Ed.), CWLA Press, 2000. (Book chapter reprint. 52 pages. $9.50).
Gives an overview of the history of play and practical considerations for youth and community development. Examines after-school activities and offers practical steps to guide communities to better utilize them within rites of passage context.

“The Rite Way: Guiding Youth to Adulthood and the Problem of Communitas” (Chapter V)., Raising the Village for the Child.
Blumenkrantz, D. (Reprint. 36 pages. $9.00)
Focuses on the ten essential ingredients necessary for the successful implementation of community-based primary prevention initiatives, especially those utilizing the "ancient ounce of prevention," rites of passage. Discusses the 3 phases of a contemporary rites of passage paradigm, the Rite Of Passage Experience® (ROPE®). Raises a number of practical considerations such as: "Can we really create contemporary rites of passages?" Also addresses the use of rites of passages a vehicle to effectively mobilize a community for the creation of viable primary prevention strategies that use rites of passage.

The Rite Way: Guiding Youth to Adulthood and the Problem of Communitas.
Blumenkrantz, D.; UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, MI; 1996. (PhD Dissertation. 300 pages. $49.50.)
An in-depth exploration of the inextricable relationship between rites of passage and a psychological sense of community; one requires the other, and sets forth compelling historical evidence. Interdisciplinary synthesis of material, rich with stories, includes a gripping account of one of the author's experiences with rites of passage. Reviews literature on rites of passage, psychological sense of community, ritual, and applied action research. Includes an overview of the puberty and initiation rites of over 50 cultures around the world. Grapples with contemporary society's absence of rites of passage and a psychological sense of community, its impact, and what we can do about it.

The Rite of Passage Experience®: Constructing a Foundation.
Blumenkrantz, D. (Monograph, 1994. 11 pages. $4.00.)
An overview of the program criteria and three phases of effective contemporary rites of passage, as well as the goals and program activities for the first phase of the Rite Of Passage Experience® (ROPE®). Explores the concept of Elder, and sets forth considerations for selecting guides for contemporary rites of passage.

Program Criteria for Effective Contemporary Rites of Passage.
Blumenkrantz, D. (Monograph, 1993. 3 pages. $5.00.)
Brief overview of Rite of Passage Experience® (ROPE®) components for parents, community, and youth in a contemporary rite of passage.

Fulfilling the Promise of Children’s Services.
Blumenkrantz, D.; Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1992. (Book. 200 pages. $45.50.)
Why primary prevention efforts fail and how they can succeed. An extensive treatment of the process of primary prevention including discussion of the necessity of a paradigm shift, practical considerations for implementing primary prevention and community-based rite of passage strategies.

“Guiding Transitional Events for Children and Adolescents Through a Modern Day Rite of Passage,” Journal of Primary Prevention, 13(3), 1992.
Blumenkrantz, D. & Gavazzi, S. (Article Reprint. 21 pages. $8.00.)
Highlights contemporary society's need to maintain rituals of initiation. It focuses on the process of rites of passage and how it serves as a vehicle to guide community mobilization efforts. The three stages of the comprehensive primary prevention community intervention 2 the Rite Of Passage Experience® (ROPE®) are described.

“Facilitating Clinical Work with Adolescents and their Families through the Rite of Passage Experience® Program,” Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 4(2), 1992.
Gavazzi, S. & Blumenkrantz, D. (Article Reprint. 15 pages. $8.00.)
Focuses on the relationship between a primary prevention initiative, the Rite Of Passage Experience®, and subsequent therapeutic work with children and their families. The paper defines the clinical utility of the ROPE® program. It challenges the field of prevention and therapy to consider the importance of prevention initiatives that can be utilized as a function for subsequent psychotherapy with children and families.

Preparing a Community for a Rite of Passage Experience®.
Blumenkrantz, D. (Monograph, 1992. 16 pages. $8.00.)
Brief overview of the three part consultation and training, major goals and session activities for the Rite of Passage Experience® (ROPE®) and selected media accounts of its implementation and results in communities.