Margaret Mead and Samoa
Subtitle: the making and unmaking of an anthropological myth
By: Derek Freeman.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: 1983
Place of publication: Cambridge, Mass
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 379
Subjects: Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978; Ethnology -- Samoan Islands; Adolescence; Nature and nurture
Description: The author presents his views refuting Margaret Meads̕ classic work on adolescence and sexuality in Samoa.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The emergence of cultural determinism. Galton, eugenics, and biological determinism -- Boas and the distinction between culture and heredity -- The launching of cultural determinism -- Boas poses an intractable problem -- Meads Samoan research. Mead presents boas with an absolute answer -- Mead’s depiction of the Samoans -- The myth takes shape -- A refutation of Mead’s conclusions. The historical setting of Mead’s research -- Rank -- Cooperation and competition -- Aggressive behavior and warfare -- Religion : Pagan and Christian -- Punishment -- Childrearing -- Samoan character -- Sexual mores and behavior -- Adolescence -- The Samoan ethos -- Margaret Mead and the Boasian paradigm. Mead’s misconstruing of Samoa -- Toward a more scientific anthropological paradigm -- Notes -- A note on orthography and pronunciation -- Glossary.