In sociology and anthropology, an age grade or age class is a social category based on age, within a series of such categories, through which individuals pass over the course of their lives. This is in contrast to an age set, to which individuals remain permanently attached as the set itself becomes progressively more senior.
In tribal societies entry into an age grade is often marked by an initiation rite. After a period of some years members may be initiated either collectively or individually into a more senior age grade. This progression is often accompanied by the revelation of secret knowledge. Most age grade systems, as with age sets, are the preserve of men, and it is the older men who control a society's secret knowledge.
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