coming of age in samoa Essay -- essays research papers

Coming of Age in Somoa Margaret Meads Coming of Age in Samoa, which was actually her doctorial dissertation, was compiled in a period of six months starting in 1925. Through it, people were given a look at a ordination non affected by the problems of 20th century industrial the States. She illustrated a picture of a society where love was available for the asking and crime was dealt with by exchanging a few mats. This book helps one to realize the large role played by social environment. One of Meads biggest challenges was probably the fact that her fieldwork was done wholly in the Samoan language. In Samoa, few, if any natives spoke English. To get information, Mead spent her time talking to approximately 25 Samoan women. However, she spent much of her emphasis on two offspring Samoan women, Faapuaa Faamu and Fofoa. It is said that one Samoan womans life is very much like the next. At the time of her visit to Samoa, Mead, a graduate student was only 23 years overage. She was barely older than the misss she interviewed and lovingly called her merry companions. The vision recieved while adaptation Coming of Age in Samoa is that it is a place of nearly stress 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 orderly developing of a set of slowly maturing interests and activities (95). According to Mead, families are large, taboos and restrictions are few, and disagreements are colonised by the giving of mats. The stresses encountered by American teenagers are unknown to their Samoan counterparts. Mead refers to premarital sex 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 married have nonhing on their minds leave out sex. Of Samoan girls Mead says She thrusts virtuosity away from her as she t hrusts away from her every separate 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 bound with ideas of monogamy, exclusiveness, jealousy and fidelity as it is in America. Evidently, due to the lack of priva... ...ons. After 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, most often a widower or a divorcee. There are two types of sexual relations other than marriage that are recognized by Samoans. These include love affairs between unmarried young people, and also adultery. Although virginity is not expected in girls, Mead claims that it de fiantly 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 economic arrangement in which relative wealth, rank and the skill of both husband 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 successful in achieving that