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The Problem with Margaret

The Problem with Margaret. Critiques of the work of Margaret Mead (1901-1978). Coming of Age in Samoa 1928. Orans’ Conclusions. Mead did not bother to clearly define the problem or the elements of the problem.

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The Problem with Margaret

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  1. The Problem with Margaret Critiques of the work of Margaret Mead (1901-1978)

  2. Coming of Age in Samoa 1928

  3. Orans’ Conclusions • Mead did not bother to clearly define the problem or the elements of the problem. • She undertook no study of adolescent/parental relations in the US by which she could make a comparison. • Mead never did master Samoan, so she was largely restricted to informants that could speak English. • Her sample of informants was small and haphazardly chosen (“grab bag”).

  4. She relied on self-reporting or gossip. Made no effort at independent verification. • She made sweeping generalizations about Samoan sexuality and culture on the basis of the testimony of a single informant, or on no data. • Like Ruth Benedict, Mead stereotyped Samoan culture, ignoring recent Samoan history. • Her work was polemical, not scientific. She made “lawyer’s arguments”. “Profoundly unscientific.” • Her arguments were contradicted by her own data.

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