The following text is about anthropology.
Victor Turner's concept of "liminality"—derived from the Latin word for threshold—describes a state of being "betwixt and between" during rituals of transformation. Initiates in coming-of-age rituals occupy a liminal space: no longer children, not yet adults. In this ambiguous state, normal social structures may be suspended, creating both danger and creative potential. Turner extended the concept beyond ritual to any transitional experience: immigration, illness, career change. Liminal phases are uncomfortable yet often produce deep personal or social change precisely because familiar structures are temporarily absent.
According to the text, what characterizes liminal states?
Complete adherence to normal social structures
Ambiguity and suspension of normal structures with potential for transformation
Permanent rather than transitional phases
Only ritual contexts, not everyday life transitions
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Liminal states are "betwixt and between" with "normal social structures...suspended," creating "danger and creative potential" and "deep personal or social change."
- Evidence: Ambiguity; suspended structures; change potential.
- Reasoning: Structural absence enables transformation.
- Conclusion: Ambiguity, suspension, and transformation define liminality.
Choice A is incorrect because structures are suspended. Choice C is incorrect because they are transitional thresholds. Choice D is incorrect because Turner extended the concept to immigration, illness, career change.