Margaret Mead: Human nature therefore the Stamina of People Samoa: The brand new Adolescent Woman

Inside 1925, Margaret Mead traveled south Pacific region from American Samoa. She sought and see if adolescence was a universally harrowing and tiring big date on account of biological factors or whether the contact with puberty relied into the your cultural upbringing. Immediately after expenses about 9 days observing and you will choosing Samoans, in addition to providing emotional evaluating, Mead concluded that puberty was not a tense going back to people when you look at the Samoa as the Samoan social patterns was basically totally different away from the individuals in america. Their findings was in fact typed from inside the Future old into the Samoa (1928), a stunning, detailed account regarding Samoan view teenage life you to became tremendously popular. It was published much more than just 12 editions into the a variety of dialects and made Mead famous. One of the reasons into popularity of the ebook was one Mead got changed the newest addition and you will end out-of her modern manuscript, adding two sections one to worked actually toward implications away from this lady findings having kid rearing in the united states.

Though it was a well-known achievement and also become used in numerous student anthropology categories, Future old within the Samoa has experienced differing quantities of complaint over the years. Several of the girl results are called with the question from the other anthropologists, and you will she’s started slammed getting romanticizing Samoan life and you can downplaying facts in comparison to the girl fundamental dispute. Simultaneously, specific Samoans found the girl portrayal off Samoan adolescent sexuality offensive.

As well as the woman common regularity toward Samoan adolescence, Mead authored a technology membership from Samoan society titled The newest Public Company out of Manu’a (1930).

Final Tips and you may Admonition

Quickly in advance of Mead departed for Samoa, Franz Boas wrote the lady a letter with latest recommendations for her scientific study. She would be to take a look at “the newest emotional attitude of the person beneath the tension of the standard development out-of society” and watch even if Samoan teenage females owned an identical “rebellious heart” found in Western kids. He cautioned the girl not to ever spend too much effort discovering Samoan community generally at the cost of this disease.

Boas initiate and stops this new page that have paternal reminders to guard this lady wellness. Mead, who was simply narrow and you will frail just like the an earlier woman, experience repeated bouts from poor health, along with chronic soreness out of neuritis in her own hands and you may really serious monthly period cramps. Throughout the the girl time in Samoa, Mead suffered not merely from these ailments, plus an infected foot, conjunctivitis (which produced reading difficult), tonsilitis, and you can toothaches.

Going for a family

Certain experts from Mead’s Samoan career investigation possess objected to help you her selection of construction into the area away from Ta’u, in which she held the girl study of teenage women. She made a decision to are now living in brand new naval dispensary with a western household members as opposed to within the a beneficial Samoan household. Within this before not available page to Ruth Benedict, Mead explains the lady decision and you will conveys matter one she oan home.

Mead’s Area inside the Samoa

With the Ta’u, Mead stayed in your family of your U.S. Navy’s chief pharmacist along with his family members. Their space occupied half of the brand new deck of your own naval dispensary. A flannel lattice split this lady bed on other countries in the porch. Staying in a western-build household rather than an unbarred-sided Samoan house acceptance Mead more privacy, but the girl space was also accessible on the exterior. Younger men and women stopped by so you can mingle anyway hours, moving and you will singing and getting the lady with information on her look.

View of Samoan turf, most likely away from Margaret Mead’s room, ca. 1925–twenty six. Gelatin silver print. Manuscript Department, Library off Congress (71b)

Community Notes

This page try from one of half a dozen career laptops Mead kept in Samoa. That it notebook contains point out of the lady stay in Fitiuta, a village on east prevent away from Ta’u isle, in the eight a distance of her house feet from inside the Luma, towards the western coast. Her cards right here recommend generally with the thing people of one’s village, and additionally a drawing off a beneficial “porch built aside from the stop from house.”