Coming of Age in Samoa

Book excerpt: 2024 Reprint of the 1928 Edition. Mead's classic account is based upon her research and study of youth - primarily adolescent girls - on the island of Taʻū in the Samoan Islands. The book details the sexual life of teenagers in Samoan society in the early 20th century, and theorizes that culture has a leading influence on psychosexual development. First published in 1928, the book launched Mead as a pioneering researcher and as the most famous anthropologist in the world. Since its first publication, Coming of Age in Samoa has been one of the most widely read books in the field of anthropology. It has sparked years of ongoing and intense debate and controversy on questions pertaining to society, culture, and science. It is a key text in the nature versus nurture debate, as well as in discussions on issues relating to family, adolescence, gender, social norms, and attitudes. Contents: Introduction -- A day in Samoa -- The education of the Samoan child -- The Samoan household -- The girl and her age group -- The girl in the community -- Formal sex relations -- The role of the dance -- The attitude towards personality -- The experience and individuality of the average girl -- The girl in conflict -- Maturity and old age -- Our educational problems in the light of Samoan contrasts -- Education for choice.