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Jan 30, 2011
dtjunkie
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The first time I encountered Margaret Mead was in a biography about Norbert Wiener. I was very impressed that Mead had written a well received book at the age of 27 in 1928 when at that time science was dominated by men. So, when I came across this book, Coming of Age in Samoa, sitting on the shelf in the local bookstore I decided to give it a go.
Coming of Age in Samoa details the lives of adolescent Samoan girls in the early 1920s. Mead spent time observing the girls and provides an i More...
Coming of Age in Samoa details the lives of adolescent Samoan girls in the early 1920s. Mead spent time observing the girls and provides an i More...
Jul 13, 2010
Erik
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During childhood summers spent at grandmother's cottage in SW Michigan there was little to do but go on walks with the dog, play solitaire, knit, assemble puzzles or read. I read a lot. Some of the books I obtained myself with money earned from doing chores. But even at a penny per cigarette butt collected from around the house, earning enough for a fifty cent paperback took a while, especially after the grounds had been scoured a couple of times. Consequently, I depended a lot on the books
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Feb 02, 2010
Brandon
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jun 09, 2009
Since at least the Enlightenment, there's been a myth of people whose lives have remained unchanged 'since time immemorial'. This myth must be based on the assumption that people have awfully short memories. Very few peoples who have been historically documented live in the same way that their grandparents did, and many don't live the same way they themselves did in their youth.
All a long way of saying that I wasn't dismayed to hear that some of Mead's informants later recanted the More...
All a long way of saying that I wasn't dismayed to hear that some of Mead's informants later recanted the More...
Mar 27, 2011
Felicity
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I didn't realise how interested i was until towards the end of the book. The majority of the book tells the reader all about Samoan culture, in preparation for when Margaret Mead really addresses the question of whether adolescence is necessarily a difficult experience, in the chapter "Our Educational Problems in the Light of Samoan Contrasts". This chapter is really very interesting, and reads as a well-structured essay. All of the questions are asked in this chapter, and it is in thi
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Feb 24, 2010
Adam
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Mead begins a bit slowly, going into a detailed overview of Samoan culture and lifestyle. However, it is in the last few chapters that her work comes to fruition. Most people know that in other cultures, things are done differently, but one must confront (in person as much as possible) these different cultural realities before one can really internalize the fact.
While not thoroughly "scientific," Mead satisfactorily refrains from too much speculation. A large portion o More...
While not thoroughly "scientific," Mead satisfactorily refrains from too much speculation. A large portion o More...
Sep 14, 2011
Shane
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With all the controversy surrounding this title I was expecting this to be quite a radical read. If this was my sole criteria for judging this book, the score would be quite a bit lower. While I can see why certain assertions might have come off as more shocking when it was initially printed, it is not so shocking at all by today's standards. That being said, I still found it to be an enjoyable book. Taking the notion that people exist within cultures and cultures vary, Margaret Mead sets about
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Jul 28, 2011
Steve
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Just prior to taking off for Tahiti to help a friend sail his boat from there to Apia, Samoa, I bought this book hoping to learn more about Samoan culture.
Even though it was written a long time ago it could still have been interesting, and parts of it were. But for me it was slow-going and ultimately I gave up about half way through.
Samoan culture today is far from what it was back then, and judging by some of the other reviews here, what Mead was told and reported about More...
Even though it was written a long time ago it could still have been interesting, and parts of it were. But for me it was slow-going and ultimately I gave up about half way through.
Samoan culture today is far from what it was back then, and judging by some of the other reviews here, what Mead was told and reported about More...
Aug 04, 2011
LesLivres
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When my professor for Anthropological Theory passed out a list of books to choose from for an essay we had to write, I snatched up Margaret Mead's Coming of Age in Samoa the moment I saw it listed as an option; I'd been wanting to read it almost since I started becoming seriously interested in studying anthropology. Really, I don't think an introductory level class exists that does not bring up Mead and the controversy surrounding this book.
So what's it about, and why is it so contro More...
So what's it about, and why is it so contro More...
Jun 26, 2011
Renee
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I'm doing research on South Pacific setting and culture for my current WIP, and thought I'd try this classic. Libararian REALLY recommended it. Was very intricate and detailed. Honestly, I had a hard time following all the subtext and felt rather like an ignorant Westerner. There were some cool things like the division of labor, and childhood duties but the family networking nuances made my head spin. Margaret Mead spent her whole career making sense of it - no way could I get it all down in a w
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Feb 10, 2008
Matthew
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Mead's seminal work is used by many sociology classes (including one I took during my undergraduate years) to show that many of the cultural practices we might assume are universal among humankind in fact depend upon our social context. By showing that the natives of Samoa engaged in social and sexual practices we consider to be unusual or harmful, Mead sought to highlight the malleability of humankind, and the power that culture has in shaping us into who we ultimately become.
Unfor More...
Unfor More...
Nov 07, 2009
Chris
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This is a nice anthropological book with some intriguing insights into an island community as well as some interesting theories and applications as to the behaviors and education/social methods used in American society.
This was a rather interesting book to read and provides some thoughtful and thought provoking ideas. It's not necessarily in the vein of things I'd normally seek out, but of the anthropological works I have read, this is one that felt most accessible to me.
This was a rather interesting book to read and provides some thoughtful and thought provoking ideas. It's not necessarily in the vein of things I'd normally seek out, but of the anthropological works I have read, this is one that felt most accessible to me.
Apr 05, 2011
Marko
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I was really excited about this book when I read it for a college anthropology course, but now that I know that much of the science and research is suspect, I can never take this book seriously again. I have no doubt that Margaret Mead's motives were pure, and that she was essential to a great shift in Western thinking, and all that, but the fact remains that her methods were questionable; her speculative psychology of "primitive youth" is just bad science.
Jan 04, 2011
Nova
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Margaret Mead makes a pretty interesting case for the contention of western young adults/adolescents being largely motivated by the organization of western society, and presents Samoan society (as of 1920-1923) as holding some possible solutions to our unease. Some of this research has been called to question, but it was nonetheless a fascinating study to compare western society to--even if it was fictional or mis-portrayed, what-have-you.
Aug 30, 2010
Aspasia
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I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would but it might be because I was tired...
Margaret Mead was one of the first anthropologists to study women and children. She studied Samoan society in attempt to answer some questions about the chaotic American teen years. Even if Americans were to adopt Samoan practices, our splintered society would produce less desirable results than the Samoan society.
Margaret Mead was one of the first anthropologists to study women and children. She studied Samoan society in attempt to answer some questions about the chaotic American teen years. Even if Americans were to adopt Samoan practices, our splintered society would produce less desirable results than the Samoan society.
Sep 06, 2009
Linda
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While interesting from a sociological standpoint, I enjoyed "Letters from the Field" more, and reading the second book improved my experience with "Coming of Age in Samoa," as the personal account of Mead's studies put all in a clearer perspective. It was a good experiment to read this book and then read "The Savage Mind" by Claude Levi-Strauss right away.
Jun 08, 2008
Deborah
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Though some of Mead's conclusions might fairly be called naive, her study of adolescent Samoan girls in the context of their culture is immensely illuminating, not only for its own sake--I confess I knew almost nothing about Samoan culture, adolescent or otherwise--but also for how starkly it highlights the assumptions we are apt to make about our own culture. I picked it up thinking it would be nice to have read it since it's part of the anthropological canon (and since so few are authored by w
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Jul 21, 2009
Rick
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Margaret Meade made up her supposed research results to please her mentor and boss when she made the trip to Samoa at age 21. See Margaret Meade and the Heretic, by Derek Freeman, Professor at the Australian National University.
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Feb 07, 2011
I started this, but couldn't get into it. Not that it's a bad book, but it didn't engage me within the first 25 pages. Too many books and so little time. I'll pass this one on to someone who will love it more.
Apr 08, 2010
lepchack
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one of the earlier anthropological texts that i have enjoyed in recent days. the biases and the prejudices exist along with the many assumptions but mead has made some observations that are relevant even in today's world.
Aug 04, 2010
Commonaction
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This is the classic sociological study exploring the roles of youth in a society, and the need for us to do the same in our work and throughout the world around us.
Dec 06, 2008
Mom
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Dated but somehow still fresh - as one of the earliest relatively unbiased studies of another culture by a Westerner it's as much history of ideas as ethnology
Mar 08, 2009
Penny
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My copy is a hardcover book club edition with the same cover picture. There is no publishing date or ISBN but I'm dating it in the early 70's.
Aug 04, 2010
Meg
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Like reading a research paper...which I guess makes sense, as it is a sociological study. Crazy to be teaching sociology in the same place Mead did her study...not too many people can say that. Most of my students equate her name with lies, which is very interesting to me, and something I would like to explore more in my sociology class. I began reading this book as soon as I moved to Samoa, and will have to re-read it now that I have a year's worth of experience living here, and do my own compa
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Feb 25, 2009
Kristen
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Serious methodological problems, but got everyone thinking. A pretty good read.
Jan 20, 2012
Kunto
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look at my facebook page : http://id-id.facebook.com/bukubekaskuno....
Another edition
Another edition
Mar 15, 2010
E.J.
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