イニシエーションとしての冒険教育

― 冒険教育とイニシエーションの構造比較 ―

抄録

The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions of the adventure education as initiation by comparing processes and structures of the adventure education and initiation rites. The results of the comparison showed that, while there were some partial differences, the following points were found as their similar aspects :1) Intentions to participate are voluntary, 2) The both are held in special places such as mountains and wilderness, which are away from their everyday lives, 3) Participants form some small new groups and have a feeling of comraderies, 4) Participants are assigned to have tasks which are mentally/physically difficult and challenging, 5）Participants suffer strong mental and physical stress, and it temporarily cause a non-adaptive state, 6) Participants overcome the maladaptation state and challenges,7) Leaders are the ones who mentally support the participants by encouraging them,8) Participants review their own experiences and realize that the experiences have had some meanings to them, and 9) There are series of experiences in which the participants leave their normal living environment, overcome difficult experiences, and then return to their normal lives with their own meaningfulness of the experiences. Therefore, the adventure education functions as an initiation that promotes individual transformation and growth.