Coming of Age in Samoa
Margaret Mead went to Samoa for nine months to study the differences between American culture and other societies. Through her studies, she concluded that Samoan life was not filled with as much stress due to the down play of sex and marriage. In the book Coming of Age in Samoa, she shares her experiences which act as evidence that the causes of adolescent stress is a result of our culture. The Samoan culture is more accepting of the idea of premarital sex, which reduces the societal pressures after the phase of puberty. The similarities between Samoan and American culture begin during childhood. In both cultures, this time is important in learning basic skills that will be needed in life. In Samoa, the stress is put heavily upon the older siblings to teach the younger children these skills. Mead observed, “Just as a child is getting old enough so that its willfulness is becoming unbearable, a younger one is saddled upon it, and the whole process is repeated again, each child being disciplined and socialized through the responsibility for a still younger one.” (Mead 1928:19). The young girls will be trusted as baby tenders around the age of six or seven until they are old enough to begin work on the plantations. During
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1192
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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