coming of age in samoa Essay -- essays research papers

culmination of Age in Somoa Marg atomic number 18t Meads Coming of Age in Samoa, which was rattling her doctoral dissertation, was compiled in a period of six months starting in 1925. Through it, people were given a look at a society not affected by the problems of 20th century industrial America. She illustrated a picture of a society where love was available for the enquire and crime was dealt with by exchanging a few mats. This book helps one to draw the large role played by social environment. One of Meads biggest challenges was probably the fact that her fieldwork was done entirely in the Samoan language. In Samoa, few, if any natives spoke English. To get information, Mead spent her conviction talking to nigh 25 Samoan women. However, she spent often of her focus on ii young Samoan women, Faapuaa Faamu and Fofoa. It is said that one Samoan adult females life is very much like the next. At the time of her visit to Samoa, Mead, a graduate student was only 23 days over aged. She was b bely older than the girls she interviewed and lovingly called her merry companions. The vision recieved while learning Coming of Age in Samoa is that it is a place of nearly melodic line free living. The children pass through adolescence without the many pressures put upon teenagers in an industrial America ...adolescence represented no period of crisis or stress,but was instead an corking developing of a set of slowly maturing busys and activities (95). According to Mead, families are large, taboos and restrictions are few, and disagreements are settled by the giving of mats. The stresses encountered by Ameri stomach teenagers are unknown to their Samoan counter comparabilityts. Mead refers to premarital come alive as the pastime par excellence for Samoan youth. She writes that Samoa is a virtual paradise of free love, as the young people from 14 years of age until they are wed have nothing on their minds except sex. Of Samoan girls Mead says She thrusts virtu osity away from her as she thrusts away from her every other sort of responsibility with the invariable comment, Laitit au (I am but young). All of her interest is expanded on clandestine sex adventures (33). She explains that growing up can be free, easy and uncomplicated. Romantic love in Samoa is not climb up with ideas of monogamy, exclusiveness, jealousy and fidelity as it is in America. Evidently, due to the lack of priva... ...ons. subsequently a girl is eight or nine years old she has learned not to approach a group of older boys. However, when it comes to younger boys, they are taught to antagonize them. The boys are considered older after they have been circumcised. When a girl is looking for her first lover, she looks to an older man, almost often a widower or a divorcee. There are two types of knowledgeable relations other than marriage that are recognized by Samoans. These complicate love affairs between unmarried young people, and also adultery. Although virgini ty is not expected in girls, Mead claims that it defiantly adds to their attractiveness. Essentially, having sex with a virgin is much more of a feat for a man than sex with a girl who is not. Marriage in Samoa is regarded as a social and economical arrangement in which relative wealth, rank and the skill of both economize and wife must be considered. In conclusion, Margaret Meads dissertation on Samoa is still interesting after 75 years. The customs of Samoans, especially those regarding sex are very interesting to people of other cultures. This society rests most of their regard on love and happiness and seem to have been productive in achieving that