| Margaret Mead is considered a pioneer anthropologist. Many cultural anthropologists just focus on one group or culture to study, but Margaret Mead decided to study many. From her famous graduate work with the Samoans of the South Pacific, to the Tchambuli (now spelled Chambri)tribe of Papua New Guinea, Mead's work has influenced many people. She was a social activist, a women activist, and encouraged the understanding of anthropology on a univeral scale. Mead conducted studies in a fashion that was unheard of for women anthropologists of her time. As a young woman myself, I admire Margaret Mead as a role model for all women persuing careers in anthropological fields. |
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Biography: Born in Philadelphia in 1901, Margaret Mead earned a college degree from Barnard College in 1923 and her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1929. As a graduate student, she set off alone to Samoa to study adolescence on the small tribal island. This individuality caused much amazement to many of her professional peers, for women were not known to venture out to study indigenous cultures alone during this time period. Her choice to take on the role of independent work made her famous. Mead's book about her time in Samoa became renoun as well as illuminating within the anthropology world. Her book asked the question: Do the internal problems our western adolescents face affect other adolescents within other civilizations? Her findings suggested that Samoans had a smoother transition than the teenagers of our culture because they did not have to deal with so many mental and social pressures. Later on in life, Mead also researched a tribe in Papua New Guinea where she studied women authority in tribes. All aspects of her work were honored and observed as distinguished studies. In addition to her field work, she was a curator for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, an executive secretary of the National Research Council's Committee on Food Habits and a professor at Columbia University. Margaret Mead died in 1978, but her works and research are still read and studied, making her one of the most famous anthropologists of her generation. |
Links to Margaret Mead:
More on Her Biography If you want a more detailed biography of Margaret Mead, this online encyclopedia gives you a full overview of her life and a list of her books. Personal Life This website focuses more on Mead's personal life, such as her childhood, schooling, and marriages. Great Women Hall of Fame This is a small write-up about this remarkable woman, but it is worth reading. Greatwomen.org is a website for women inducted into the Women Hall of Fame. This is their webpage about Margaret Mead who was inducted into their hall in 1976. Museum of Natural History From the Museum of Natural History, this is a fantastic website devoted to Margaret Mead, her work and what she has done for the social sciences. Library of Congress From the Library of Congress. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mead's birth, LOC set up an exhibit of Mead's work and writings. 
Works by Margaret Mead: |
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