Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies

by Margaret Mead

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First published in 1935, Sex & Temperament is a fascinating and brilliant anthropological study of the intimate lives of three New Guinea tribes from infancy to adulthood. Focusing on the gentle, mountain-dwelling Arapesh, the fierce, cannibalistic Mundugumor, and the graceful headhunters of Tchambuli -- Mead advances the theory that many so-called masculine and feminine characteristics are not based on fundamental sex differences but reflect the cultural conditioning of different societies. show more This edition, prepared for the centennial of Mead's birth, features introductions by Helen Fisher and Mead's daughter, Mary Catherine Bateson. A precursor to Mead's illuminating Male & Female, Sex & Temperament lays the groundwork for her lifelong study of gender differences. show less

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93+ Works 5,298 Members
Margaret Mead, an American anthropologist, was for most of her life the most illustrious curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. She was famed not only as an anthropologist but also as a public figure, a popularizer of the social sciences, and an analyst of American society. While at Columbia University, she was a student of show more Franz Boas, whose teaching assistant, Ruth Benedict, became one of Mead's closest colleagues and friends; after Benedict's death, Mead became her first biographer and the custodian of her field notes and papers. Mead's early research in Samoa led to her best selling book, "Coming of Age in Samoa" (1928); it also led, after her death, to a well-publicized attack on her work by the Australian anthropologist Derek Freeman. Her importance was not damaged by his book; in fact, there is probably a greater awareness today of the important role that she played in twentieth-century intellectual history as an advocate of tolerance, education, civil liberties, world peace, and the worldwide ecumenical movement within Christianity. She was an active and devout Episcopalian throughout her life. On January 6, 1979, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. (Bowker Author Biography) Margaret Mead was born on December 16, 1901 in Philadelphia. Her family moved a great deal during her childhood and encouraged her to pursue an education. She graduated from Barnard College in 1923 and earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1929. The 1928 publication of her first book, "Coming of Age in Samoa," was based on her study of the sexual patterns of Samoan adolescent girls. It became a best-seller and changed American anthropology; it also established Mead as one of the leaders in American anthropology, a position she retained for 50 years. Mead was active in education most of her life and taught and lectured at many prominent schools, including Columbia University, Vassar College, Fordham University, and New York University. She was appointed assistant curator at the American Museum of Natural History in 1926, becoming successively associate curator in 1942, curator in 1964 and emeritus curator in 1969. In all, Mead wrote 23 widely read books. Some other titles include "Growing Up in New Guinea," "Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies," and "Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America." Margaret Mead died of cancer in New York City in 1978. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Some Editions

Chevassus, Georges (Translator)
Fisher, Helen (Foreword)
Mok, M. (Translator)

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Canonical title
Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies
Original title
Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies
Original publication date
1928 (Livre 2 : 1e édition originale américaine, William Morrow & Co., New York) (Livre 2 : 1e édition originale américaine, William Morrow & Co., New York); 1935 (Livre 1 : Edition modifiée américaine, William Morrow & Co., New York) (Livre 1 : Edition modifiée américaine, William Morrow & Co., New York); 1963 (1e traduction et édition française ∙ Terre humaine ∙ Plon) (1e traduction et édition française ∙ Terre humaine ∙ Plon)
Important places*
Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée; Samoa
Publisher's editor*
Malaurie, Jean (Directeur de collection)
Original language*
Anglais (USA) (USA)
Disambiguation notice*
MEAD, MARGARET, Mœurs et sexualité en Océanie.Trois sociétés primitives de Nouvelle-Guinée. Adolescence à Samoa,
Traduit de l'anglais par Georges Chevassus, Plon, 1963.

Edition originale en anglais en 1935 p... (show all)our le livre I, Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies William Morrow & Co.: New York.

Edition originale en anglais en 1928 pour le livre II, Coming Age in Samoa. William Morrow & Co.: New York
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Anthropology, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies, Science & Nature
DDC/MDS
572.995Natural sciences & mathematicsBiologyBiochemistryBy RegionPacificNew Guinea
LCC
GN671 .N5 .M45Geography, Anthropology and RecreationAnthropologyAnthropologyEthnology. Social and cultural anthropologyEthnic groups and racesBy region or country
BISAC

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24