Margaret Mead è stata un'antropologa culturale americana, spesso presente nei mass media come divulgatrice delle intuizioni antropologiche per la vita occidentale moderna. È stata una sostenitrice di costumi sessuali più ampi nel contesto della vita religiosa occidentale. Le sue relazioni sul presunto atteggiamento sano nei confronti del sesso nelle culture tradizionali del Pacifico meridionale e del Sud-est asiatico hanno informato in modo significativo la "rivoluzione sessuale" degli anni '60. Sebbene fosse un'accademica rispettata, il suo lavoro fu infine, e controversamente, messo in discussione.
The book details Margaret Mead's eight-month study of the Mountain Arapesh people in Papua New Guinea during 1931-1932. It explores their unique culture characterized by simplicity, sensitivity, and a strong sense of cooperation among community members. Mead's observations provide valuable insights into the social dynamics and values of the Arapesh, highlighting their distinct way of life in contrast to Western norms.
Dílem o pohlaví a temperamentu se uzavírá i vrcholí oceánský, „jihomořský“ cyklus, trilogie, jež z Meadové učinila jednou provždy nejen autoritativní antropologickou osobnost, nýbrž otevřela cestu i k mediální, veřejné dimenzi své autorky. Tato práce je zkoumáním, jak tři primitivní společenství seskupují své sociální postoje podle temperamentu (tedy podle rysů připsaných každému pohlaví jako příslušně „maskulinních“ nebo „femininních“), aby nakonec vyústila v často citovaný ultrarelativistický závěr, že mnohé, ne-li všechny osobnostní rysy, ať už mužské, nebo ženské, jsou s pohlavím spojeny právě tak málo jako oděv, mravy nebo pokrývka hlavy.
Focusing on cultural relativism, this collection of essays offers a framework for future ethnological surveys in anthropology. It aims to deepen understanding and provide a basis for planning research within contemporary society. The assembled statements serve as a guide for scholars looking to explore and analyze cultural contexts more effectively.
For more than a generation, this pioneering book has been an indispensable introduction to the field of anthropology. Here, in her study of three sharply contrasting cultures, Benedict puts forward her famous thesis that a people's culture is an integrated whole, a "personality writ large." Includes a preface from Margaret Mead.
