The pathways to adolescence (Ground floor, 1st and 2nd floors)

The theoretical basis of the exhibition is the concept of enculturation developed in cultural anthropology. It is based on the idea that, during childhood and adolescence, people are exposed to various experiences that lead them to adopt the cultural patterns, norms and values of a given society and to become integral and full members of it. Enculturation consists of three types of experience: observation of the behavior of older members of society, explicit instructions given by the latter, and finally independent attempts to imitate and experiment within the learned cultural patterns.

This is a complex and largely unconscious process, which is particularly complicated in today's world, since, under conditions of cultural pluralism and globalization, we have to deal with the parallel existence of different - often contradictory - norms and values. This situation means that the final stage of the enculturation process, which falls during adolescence, is associated with many tensions and conflicts. On the one hand, young people are becoming aware of, and often questioning, the cultural context in which they are being shaped, and on the other hand they want - but also need - to make their own choices regarding their own ways of participating in society and culture.

During adolescence, young people discover their interests and aptitudes and choose their educational paths. Whether they will not be afraid to choose apparently more difficult but perhaps more rewarding paths of development in the future, whether they will place emphasis on immaterial values such as education, or whether they will focus primarily on satisfying material needs, depends to a large extent on the so-called scientific and cultural capital built up in the family, at school or in the educational and cultural environment. Not everyone has an equal start in this respect, not in every family does a young person grow up with sufficient support, either for material reasons or because of various types of environmental conditions or neglect.

This is why it is so important to create spaces that are conducive to the multidimensional development of children and young people in their environment, e.g., by establishing new cultural institutions or expanding the offerings of existing institutions to include new forms and areas of activity. This exhibition fulfils this role. It familiarizes young visitors with phenomena and aspects of socio-cultural life that are important during adolescence, the final and very important phase of the enculturation process.

The exhibition provides an opportunity to understand and accept the physiological, mental, intellectual and social processes associated with adolescence, and in particular to recognize the importance of cultural patterns, norms and values in our lives, and how their acquisition and formation are related to the biological aspects of human development. As a basis for formulating such an approach, we adopt the current thesis in the social sciences that man is a biocultural being, i.e., the evolution of the human species has led to a situation in which the possession of culture is paradoxically one of the elements of human "nature", and therefore the existence of the human species outside of culture is now impossible.

An important aspect of the exhibition is its educational dimension. During adolescence, it is just as important to provide the right conditions for physical development as it is to create the right conditions for the successful completion of the enculturation process. At present, however, this effectiveness cannot be guaranteed by imposing a single set of norms and values on the young generation. It is necessary to prepare young people to live in a world of diverse cultural patterns and at the same time to prepare them to make wise choices and to understand and respect the choices of others.

The exhibits and paths through the exhibition make it clear that participation in culture nowadays is linked to the necessity of constantly making different choices, while at the same time, in their own way, providing space for cultural exercises and experiments in safe laboratory conditions. Through skillful narration, the exhibition highlights the role of the family in the development of the young person, as well as the role of the social environment and cultural tradition in shaping their attitudes and life choices. The exhibition is aimed at individuals and organized groups. It was designed primarily with adolescents and adults in mind. However, it has also been very positively received by families with smaller children, especially those aged 6-12. The exhibition's posts address topics that can present challenges for parents in communicating with their children. Issues that are difficult for parents and children, such as emotions, their expression and acceptance, physiological changes during adolescence or relationship problems within the family, are skillfully highlighted in the exhibition. The posts can provide a good pretext for conversation and contribute to strengthening family ties, as part of the current of close parenting.

The Pathways to Adolescence exhibition consists of thirty-one stands that are part of three thematic pathways. They include exhibits that are common to two or three of the pathways, as well as exhibits that are specific to one of the pathways. Most of the stands have been equipped with multimedia and new technologies that allow for multilevel tours. The different themes of the stations, regardless of their grouping into thematic paths for individual and group visits, are based on medical facts and allow for the implementation of educational or family life lessons carried out by teachers in charge of school groups.

The Path of Emotions: the items in this pathway are marked in pink. Its topics help to learn how to identify, name, release and express emotions. This makes it possible to accept the natural, though often extreme, emotions of adolescence. Instead of focusing on the "usual" problems of adolescence, young people can devote more attention to their intellectual and cultural activities or to experiment with art. Most of the stops on this tour are in the exhibition hall on the ground floor, to the left of the entrance to the building. However, some of the stands can also be found in the other exhibition rooms on the first and second floors.

Emotions play an important role in our lives and are with us almost all the time, so it is difficult to separate biological and social development from emotional development. On the Path of Emotions, visitors will learn what emotions are and how they can affect our lives. Psychologists and philosophers have pondered what emotions are for many years. They can be defined as "any agitation or disturbance of the mind, feelings and passions. Any state of mental agitation or excitement. There are hundreds of emotions, their colors, varieties and types. it is disputable to classify the types of emotions and to distinguish which ones can be considered basic. Research shows that four emotions: fear, anger, sadness and happiness can be found in all cultures around the world, even the most primitive. The exhibits Human Theatre, Capsules of Emotion and Written on the Face will help to provide answers to basic questions about emotions and the human relationships that go with them. Our functioning in society is impossible without empathy, just as it is impossible without cultural belonging. Indeed, empathy gives us a better understanding of the world and the people around us. It occurs not only in humans but also in animals, dogs being the best example. On the other hand, lack of empathy is one of the basic disorders responsible for psychopathic tendencies. The issue of empathy can be further explored in the exhibition As in a Mirror . On the Path of Emotions you can also learn about the ubiquitous feelings and how they differ from emotions. You can express your feelings by creating your own emoticon.

Sometimes you need to 'unload' your emotions. You can do this in the room on the second floor, where you will also find several stations from the Path of Emotions. A very good way of releasing emotions is through sport. The exhibition includes a stand dedicated to sumo. This Japanese national sport is a form of wrestling. Sumo wrestlers usually weigh a considerable amount, well over 100 kg and sometimes even 200 kg. Like no other sport, sumo is governed by a complex ceremonial system that dates to feudal Japan. It manifests itself in a strictly defined system of relationships, in the lifestyle and training of the competitors, and in the way the competition itself is conducted. The duel takes place in a specially prepared ring. We can also, if we wish, wear foam outfits that make us look like sumo wrestlers. The object of the duel is to push your opponent off the field or to make him touch you with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet. People watching the duel can comment on the grappling using the Magic Voice post. In the room on the second floor, you can also experience the Power of Emotions and see how strong experiences, which cause fear for example, can affect our body.

Adolescence pathway: the stations of this path, marked in green, satisfy the natural curiosity of adolescents with regard to the biological sphere of human life. They are located in the exhibition room on the first floor. The skillfully arranged exhibits allow you to distance yourself from the problems of physiological puberty and look at them from a different angle. However, there is no shortage of more difficult subjects, such as the phenomenon of modifying one's own body in order to satisfy various needs, including those resulting from a lack of self-esteem and self-acceptance (the Clinic stand).

Puberty is a time when the body undergoes rapid physical changes, leading to significant changes in appearance. Young people ask a lot of questions then, especially: "Am I OK?", "Is this normal?". The "What's Going On" stand, located on the first floor to the left of the entrance to the hall, allows visitors to find out, at a distance, what changes take place in the body during physical maturation. Different hormones control processes such as reproduction and growth. Together with the brain, the endocrine system controls and coordinates the entire organism. The main endocrine glands are the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. At the Ooh Gosh! Those Hormones stand, visitors can learn about the role of hormones in adolescence and adulthood. Changes in young people's bodies are also associated with Pimples and the Weird Voice that is a result mutation. And these are the names of the stands dedicated to these phenomena.

A Healthy Body stand shows the importance of a proper, balanced diet for the development of the body and introduces the most common eating disorders and their causes. Adolescence is also a period of experimentation, for example with psychoactive substances. Specially designed goggles that simulate the effects of alcohol and drugs on the body allow visitors to experiment with the negative effects of these substances. Adolescence is characterized by intense physical changes in the body with the programmed goal of reaching sexual maturity.

The Everything You're Afraid to Ask section provides expert answers, based on the latest scientific evidence, about our sexuality. You will also find interesting facts about human sexuality and how it is perceived in different cultures. The Belly and Baby exhibits provide information on pregnancy, childbirth and infant care.

The Pathways to Adolescence exhibits are arranged in a sequence from the first physical changes that occur during puberty, through various typical pubertal 'problems' related to acceptance of physical changes, learning about the sphere of sexuality, to pregnancy and infant care. There is also a very interesting stand in the left-hand corner of the room, the Adolescence Examination, which looks at the symbolism of the moment of transition to adulthood and the rituals associated with it in different cultures. The stand also provides a thought-provoking insight into the daily lives of 15-17 year olds in selected parts of the world that are very different geographically, culturally and socially.

Socio-cultural pathway: The elements of this pathway, marked in blue, introduce the viewer to issues related to the process of enculturation - the socio-cultural growing up of the individual. Adolescence is presented as a process of self-awareness through an understanding of social behavioural patterns, including an understanding of the role of building self-esteem and uniqueness, and the search for ways to express one's personality through creativity and the experience of art. Attention is drawn to phenomena of interest to young people, such as the symbolism of rites of passage between childhood and adulthood. The supportive role of the young person's immediate environment, the family, during the transition to adolescence is highlighted. The stations of this journey are mostly located on the second floor of the building.

Adolescence is a time of searching for one's own identity, forming opinions and choosing values. It becomes particularly important to express oneself through clothes ( Fashion Labyrinth exhibition), music ( Music Festival ) or hobbies ( Master) . This is also the moment when the first decisions are made about future working life and social roles. Belonging to subcultures, the different types of which are presented in the Cultural Photo Booth exhibition, becomes important. Issues of online safety and awareness of the limitations of creating one's own image online are presented in the In the Social Network

The transition to adulthood is a time of searching for identity, of instability and frequent change, of focusing on "me" and discerning "what I want", a sense of being "in-between", but also a time of the greatest opportunity to create who we want to be and can be. Feelings of loneliness are not unfamiliar currently - after all, the young person is suddenly faced with the problem of making decisions on his or her own. Support at this difficult time should come from the family, but this is not always the case. The Family Portrait shows different, not necessarily easy, family stories and ways of working on relationships between loved ones. Self-esteem and finding the qualities in oneself that make one unique and valuable (I Am Special) can also be a source of inner strength.

During a walk along the Pathways to Adolescence visitors can leave their mark, a reflection, in the form of a short text, a picture or a photograph of part of their face at several points, which will become part of the collage displayed in the exhibition. We warmly encourage our visitors to do so.