Do societies anywhere have organized/mainstream methods of obtaining social redemption

[Wesley_Clark]

So assume you are a pariah for whatever reason. An ex-felon, ex-gang member, ex-skinhead, ex-spousal abuser, ex-pedophile, ex-con artist, ex-addict (obviously the level of pariah varies from situation to situation, but meh). And you want to reintegrate yourself into society after paying the appropriate restitution to society (which is usually jail time) and making a sincere apology to your victim(s). Basically, you want to put your past behind you and start over in a sincere fashion. Granted your victim(s) may not be totally happy with it, that varies from situation to situation.

Are there ever methods for people to obtain redemption that are considered socially approved? In the US the only ones I can think of are religion and the military. If you are an ex-gang member or ex-felon and renounce the gang and crime, people are not going to hold you in the same level of esteem as they would if you left a gang, then joined the military. A military career seems to be redemptive in US culture and allows you to start over with social worth and social value if you have messed up in the past. Not totally, but somewhat.

And working in not for profits or in a religious institution (as a volunteer, or as a worker for a church, etc) also can be seen as a form of redemption. But I doubt that a person would be reintegrated into society for doing that, I think they’d just be integrated into the church.

But if redemption is an effort to reciprocate and ‘repay’ society for what you ‘took’ from it, why not have high risk career options where people recognize your desire to reenter society via your willingness to offer something of value to society that is socially recognized?

It seems to be based on the concept of reciprocation. You contribute to society and you take from it. If you contribute something negative (you are a criminal, etc) society rejects you. So I’d guess you’d have to contribute something positive and rare to make amends. But there don’t seem to be many opportunities to do that.

If you are an ex-gang member, and you dive into a lake and put your own life at risk to save a drowning child, that is a form of redemption too. People will be more willing to give you a second chance. You have just given something of value to society to compensate for what you took from it. Kids are considered valuable and vulnerable, and you put your own well being at risk to protect one. Society will be more willing to wipe your slate clean if you do something like that.

Then again, I’m guessing the concept of ‘community service’ is meant to do this. But it doesn’t seem to since it is largely mandated and not done to reintegrate.

What about 2-4 years of intensive charity work, either domestically or internationally? Would that be considered redemptive? Or doing the opposite of what caused the problem (if you were a criminal, being someone who tries to stop crime, etc)?

[robert_columbia]

Are you talking about a social “rite of passage” that could be offered, and enforced by social pressure? That would be interesting. Western Civilization ™ seems to be weak on rite of passage traditions that other cultures have. For example, many would say that we don’t have a meaningful rite of passage into adulthood, such as Judaism’s Bar Mitzvah.

Catholicism does have it’s Confession process, but I don’t believe that penitents normally parade the process in front of family and friends - it is a thing between you and the priest, so the extent to which going to Confession gives one a better image in the community seems negligible. (e.g. "oh, he used to be a bad man, but he went to Confession!).

There are “legal” routes that can sometimes be taken to expunge criminal convictions and whatnot, but they are not available to everyone and the US Government is apparently allowed to disregard them when making security clearance investigations, immigration/citizenship decisions, and possibly other things. I’m assuming that you are not solely looking at these and are looking at ways outside of the strict legal system, either rites/rituals/processes that don’t legally erase a conviction, or work for people that were “bad” but were never convicted of a crime (or convicted of any serious crime), but were Naughty nonetheless.

[monstro]

I think there’s a lot to what you said about “rare”. If it’s not that difficult for ex-Bad People to redeem themselves, then the redemption is somehow cheapened.

But there’s also time. Time also redeems. At least for some crimes. I was just reading an article about a female politician whose statutory rape of a female student forty years ago has come to light. She has people flocking to her defense, saying she has long renounced her sinful lesbianism and is now a good church-going Christian. AND. the crime happened so long ago. It’s time to forgive and forget.

Um…do these people say the same things about all those Catholic priests?

You get enough time under your belt of “good behavior” and adopt certain politics…you’re clean. At least, for some people it works out like this.

[code_grey]

in 19th century Europe people who were deadbeat debtors, in trouble with authorities or just unhappy with high taxes, unjust government, low wage rates and similar nutjob [del]censored[/del] concerns could undertake the redemption ritual called “emigration to America”

More seriously, though, I think many societies have no need for any social redemption in the first place. A society with high labor participation rate does not need to “redeem” former inmates - instead it promptly hires them because somebody has to do the work. A society that treats its governing authorities with a healthy dose of contempt would not discriminate against people who got railroaded by law enforcement after allegedly committing relatively minor crimes, which is a big chunk of former inmates, either.

[MrDibble]

Well, there’s Jerry Springer…(no, I’m being serious - Talk shows are one mechanism for this kind of social redemption)

In South Africa we had this attempt at restorative justice. Results were mixed at best. There’ve been a few movies made about it, some with fairly well-known Hollywood types in them - Red Dust, and In My Country.

[SecretaryofEvil]

@robert_columbia

Are you talking about a social “rite of passage” that could be offered, and enforced by social pressure? That would be interesting. Western Civilization ™ seems to be weak on rite of passage traditions that other cultures have. For example, many would say that we don’t have a meaningful rite of passage into adulthood, such as Judaism’s Bar Mitzvah.

Catholicism does have it’s Confession process, but I don’t believe that penitents normally parade the process in front of family and friends - it is a thing between you and the priest, so the extent to which going to Confession gives one a better image in the community seems negligible. (e.g. "oh, he used to be a bad man, but he went to Confession!).

Catholics have Confirmation. It takes place when one is 14ish, and symbolizes that one is an adult who is responsible for his or her actions before God. It frequently comes with a party and gifts. It doesn’t seem terribly different in spirit or function from what a Bar Mitzvah is to Jews.

First Confession is part of First Communion, which happens when a child is 8ish. First Communions also typically come with parties and gifts. You’re right that first Confession and Confession in general tend to be intensely private things in Catholicism.

At least, that’s what I remember from when I was a kid.

Many people try to treat rehab, especially if they adopt the 12 step-process, as a quasi-public redemptive act.