A black-and-white portrait of a woman with short, curly hair, smiling softly. Dressed in a simple blouse, she exudes a warm, approachable demeanor. Her expression and style suggest an intellectual or creative figure from the mid-20th century.
A black-and-white portrait of a woman with short, curly hair, smiling softly. Dressed in a simple blouse, she exudes a warm, approachable demeanor. Her expression and style suggest an intellectual or creative figure from the mid-20th century.

Margaret Mead

Historical

Historical

Dec 16, 1901

-

Nov 15, 1978

Back

Back

Back

A black-and-white portrait of a woman with short, curly hair, smiling softly. Dressed in a simple blouse, she exudes a warm, approachable demeanor. Her expression and style suggest an intellectual or creative figure from the mid-20th century.

Margaret Mead

Historical

Historical

Dec 16, 1901

-

Nov 15, 1978

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

Margaret Mead was an outstanding cultural anthropologist whose research changed the view on human societies.
Mead was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Her parents influenced her education: her father was a finance professor, and her mother was a sociologist.

Her interest in anthropology started at Barnard College and then at Columbia University under the tutelage of Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict.
Mead's first research experience in Samoa can be considered the beginning of her work.
Her most renowned work is Coming of Age in Samoa, published in 1928, where she analyzed adolescence in Samoan culture and asserted that youths' experiences are socially constructed by the culture they practice and not genetically predetermined.
This was a radical shift of paradigm in the way that people's behavior was explained, as opposed to the more mechanical approaches that dominated the field.
Mead's work focused on a qualitative research approach, which expanded the scope of anthropology and made people appreciate other cultures and accept them based on their standards.

In her work, Mead used her anthropological knowledge to solve modern-day problems affecting society.
Her studies included issues like gender roles, child-rearing practices, and the cultural perception towards sex.
She regularly contributed to current affairs; some topics she covered included environmentalism, women, and nuclear power.

These two aspects of Mead's career established her as a public intellectual: she engaged in policy discussions.
She regularly contributed to media outlets where she translated anthropological findings for the contemporary world.
Mead was honored for her anthropological contributions by receiving many awards, including the posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1979.

She remained at the American Museum of Natural History and was a curator for quite some time, helping build the museum's ethnographic collection.
Her capacity to translate anthropological concepts to the public made her one of the most influential anthropologists of the twentieth century, and her work remains relevant.

Quotes

"It is the only thing that ever has." said American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead.

This author believes children should be taught how to think, not what to think.

This means that if we continue to pollute the environment, we will be left with no society in which to live.

The best thing you can ever be reminded of is that you are the only one of your kind in the world.

"People's words, people's actions, and what people claim to do are three different things."

This is the best way I can describe it: I got to know the importance of hard work through hard work.

"'Where are you?' is one of the oldest human needs; it is the need to be missed when one does not come home at night."

"I was wise enough never to grow up while fooling most people into believing I had."

Anthropology requires the receptiveness to observe and listen, documenting with awe and surprise what one would not have expected.

"I became aware of my surroundings and focused on the areas where man and nature met."

Success is the positive impact a person brings to her fellow human beings.

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and that's all it takes to start a revolution."

There should be a pie made. We cannot stress when there is a pie.

The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "The solution to adult problems tomorrow will be determined largely by how children are educated today."

"For every woman that is liberated, a man is also liberated."

FAQ

Who is Margaret Mead?

Margaret Mead's contribution to the sexual revolution can be seen in the following ways.

Margaret Mead is most famous for her works on cultural relativism and cultural development; however, her work focused on adolescent culture.

Mead's research on sexuality and gender roles, primarily in the South Pacific, contributed to the sexual revolution by disputing the norms of sexual conduct in Western society.

Which of the books are regarded as Margaret Mead's most popular ones?

Her other famous works include Coming of Age in Samoa, Growing Up in New Guinea, and Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies.

What makes Margaret Mead's work questionable?

Mead's work was considered radical for rejecting logical reductionism and introducing cultural relativism into the discussion; her research strategies were questioned later, mainly by Derek Freeman.

How did Margaret Mead conduct her research?

Mead employed qualitative research methods, the main techniques of which were participant observation and ethnographic analysis, with an emphasis on cultural activities.

What did Margaret Mead do for anthropology?

Mead also thought that gender roles were learned, having conducted her study in the Pacific, where she discovered that gender expectations were quite different from one culture to the other.

What was Margaret Mead's view on gender roles?

Mead also thought that gender roles were learned, having conducted her study in the Pacific, where she discovered that gender expectations were quite different from one culture to the other.

What awards did Margaret Mead receive?

Indeed, Margaret Mead was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom even after she died in 1979 for her work in anthropology.

In which culture did Margaret Mead perform her most known study?

Her most famous research was done in Samoa, where she researched adolescence and cultural practices.

What did Margaret Mead do for society, and how did she influence public policy?

Mead's methodologies of contemporary cultural practices and human behavior were applied to policymaking concerning education, family, and women's rights.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

Margaret Mead was an outstanding cultural anthropologist whose research changed the view on human societies.
Mead was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Her parents influenced her education: her father was a finance professor, and her mother was a sociologist.

Her interest in anthropology started at Barnard College and then at Columbia University under the tutelage of Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict.
Mead's first research experience in Samoa can be considered the beginning of her work.
Her most renowned work is Coming of Age in Samoa, published in 1928, where she analyzed adolescence in Samoan culture and asserted that youths' experiences are socially constructed by the culture they practice and not genetically predetermined.
This was a radical shift of paradigm in the way that people's behavior was explained, as opposed to the more mechanical approaches that dominated the field.
Mead's work focused on a qualitative research approach, which expanded the scope of anthropology and made people appreciate other cultures and accept them based on their standards.

In her work, Mead used her anthropological knowledge to solve modern-day problems affecting society.
Her studies included issues like gender roles, child-rearing practices, and the cultural perception towards sex.
She regularly contributed to current affairs; some topics she covered included environmentalism, women, and nuclear power.

These two aspects of Mead's career established her as a public intellectual: she engaged in policy discussions.
She regularly contributed to media outlets where she translated anthropological findings for the contemporary world.
Mead was honored for her anthropological contributions by receiving many awards, including the posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1979.

She remained at the American Museum of Natural History and was a curator for quite some time, helping build the museum's ethnographic collection.
Her capacity to translate anthropological concepts to the public made her one of the most influential anthropologists of the twentieth century, and her work remains relevant.

Quotes

"It is the only thing that ever has." said American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead.

This author believes children should be taught how to think, not what to think.

This means that if we continue to pollute the environment, we will be left with no society in which to live.

The best thing you can ever be reminded of is that you are the only one of your kind in the world.

"People's words, people's actions, and what people claim to do are three different things."

This is the best way I can describe it: I got to know the importance of hard work through hard work.

"'Where are you?' is one of the oldest human needs; it is the need to be missed when one does not come home at night."

"I was wise enough never to grow up while fooling most people into believing I had."

Anthropology requires the receptiveness to observe and listen, documenting with awe and surprise what one would not have expected.

"I became aware of my surroundings and focused on the areas where man and nature met."

Success is the positive impact a person brings to her fellow human beings.

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and that's all it takes to start a revolution."

There should be a pie made. We cannot stress when there is a pie.

The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "The solution to adult problems tomorrow will be determined largely by how children are educated today."

"For every woman that is liberated, a man is also liberated."

FAQ

Who is Margaret Mead?

Margaret Mead's contribution to the sexual revolution can be seen in the following ways.

Margaret Mead is most famous for her works on cultural relativism and cultural development; however, her work focused on adolescent culture.

Mead's research on sexuality and gender roles, primarily in the South Pacific, contributed to the sexual revolution by disputing the norms of sexual conduct in Western society.

Which of the books are regarded as Margaret Mead's most popular ones?

Her other famous works include Coming of Age in Samoa, Growing Up in New Guinea, and Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies.

What makes Margaret Mead's work questionable?

Mead's work was considered radical for rejecting logical reductionism and introducing cultural relativism into the discussion; her research strategies were questioned later, mainly by Derek Freeman.

How did Margaret Mead conduct her research?

Mead employed qualitative research methods, the main techniques of which were participant observation and ethnographic analysis, with an emphasis on cultural activities.

What did Margaret Mead do for anthropology?

Mead also thought that gender roles were learned, having conducted her study in the Pacific, where she discovered that gender expectations were quite different from one culture to the other.

What was Margaret Mead's view on gender roles?

Mead also thought that gender roles were learned, having conducted her study in the Pacific, where she discovered that gender expectations were quite different from one culture to the other.

What awards did Margaret Mead receive?

Indeed, Margaret Mead was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom even after she died in 1979 for her work in anthropology.

In which culture did Margaret Mead perform her most known study?

Her most famous research was done in Samoa, where she researched adolescence and cultural practices.

What did Margaret Mead do for society, and how did she influence public policy?

Mead's methodologies of contemporary cultural practices and human behavior were applied to policymaking concerning education, family, and women's rights.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

Margaret Mead was an outstanding cultural anthropologist whose research changed the view on human societies.
Mead was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Her parents influenced her education: her father was a finance professor, and her mother was a sociologist.

Her interest in anthropology started at Barnard College and then at Columbia University under the tutelage of Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict.
Mead's first research experience in Samoa can be considered the beginning of her work.
Her most renowned work is Coming of Age in Samoa, published in 1928, where she analyzed adolescence in Samoan culture and asserted that youths' experiences are socially constructed by the culture they practice and not genetically predetermined.
This was a radical shift of paradigm in the way that people's behavior was explained, as opposed to the more mechanical approaches that dominated the field.
Mead's work focused on a qualitative research approach, which expanded the scope of anthropology and made people appreciate other cultures and accept them based on their standards.

In her work, Mead used her anthropological knowledge to solve modern-day problems affecting society.
Her studies included issues like gender roles, child-rearing practices, and the cultural perception towards sex.
She regularly contributed to current affairs; some topics she covered included environmentalism, women, and nuclear power.

These two aspects of Mead's career established her as a public intellectual: she engaged in policy discussions.
She regularly contributed to media outlets where she translated anthropological findings for the contemporary world.
Mead was honored for her anthropological contributions by receiving many awards, including the posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1979.

She remained at the American Museum of Natural History and was a curator for quite some time, helping build the museum's ethnographic collection.
Her capacity to translate anthropological concepts to the public made her one of the most influential anthropologists of the twentieth century, and her work remains relevant.

Quotes

"It is the only thing that ever has." said American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead.

This author believes children should be taught how to think, not what to think.

This means that if we continue to pollute the environment, we will be left with no society in which to live.

The best thing you can ever be reminded of is that you are the only one of your kind in the world.

"People's words, people's actions, and what people claim to do are three different things."

This is the best way I can describe it: I got to know the importance of hard work through hard work.

"'Where are you?' is one of the oldest human needs; it is the need to be missed when one does not come home at night."

"I was wise enough never to grow up while fooling most people into believing I had."

Anthropology requires the receptiveness to observe and listen, documenting with awe and surprise what one would not have expected.

"I became aware of my surroundings and focused on the areas where man and nature met."

Success is the positive impact a person brings to her fellow human beings.

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and that's all it takes to start a revolution."

There should be a pie made. We cannot stress when there is a pie.

The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "The solution to adult problems tomorrow will be determined largely by how children are educated today."

"For every woman that is liberated, a man is also liberated."

FAQ

Who is Margaret Mead?

Margaret Mead's contribution to the sexual revolution can be seen in the following ways.

Margaret Mead is most famous for her works on cultural relativism and cultural development; however, her work focused on adolescent culture.

Mead's research on sexuality and gender roles, primarily in the South Pacific, contributed to the sexual revolution by disputing the norms of sexual conduct in Western society.

Which of the books are regarded as Margaret Mead's most popular ones?

Her other famous works include Coming of Age in Samoa, Growing Up in New Guinea, and Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies.

What makes Margaret Mead's work questionable?

Mead's work was considered radical for rejecting logical reductionism and introducing cultural relativism into the discussion; her research strategies were questioned later, mainly by Derek Freeman.

How did Margaret Mead conduct her research?

Mead employed qualitative research methods, the main techniques of which were participant observation and ethnographic analysis, with an emphasis on cultural activities.

What did Margaret Mead do for anthropology?

Mead also thought that gender roles were learned, having conducted her study in the Pacific, where she discovered that gender expectations were quite different from one culture to the other.

What was Margaret Mead's view on gender roles?

Mead also thought that gender roles were learned, having conducted her study in the Pacific, where she discovered that gender expectations were quite different from one culture to the other.

What awards did Margaret Mead receive?

Indeed, Margaret Mead was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom even after she died in 1979 for her work in anthropology.

In which culture did Margaret Mead perform her most known study?

Her most famous research was done in Samoa, where she researched adolescence and cultural practices.

What did Margaret Mead do for society, and how did she influence public policy?

Mead's methodologies of contemporary cultural practices and human behavior were applied to policymaking concerning education, family, and women's rights.

Life and achievements

Early life

Margaret Mead was born into an academic family in Philadelphia in 1901 but was raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Her father was Edward Sherwood Mead, a professor, and her mother, Emily Mead, focused on Italian immigrants.
This intellectual atmosphere and constant moving from one place to another because of her parents' work contributed to Mead's interest in cultures and societies.

Most of her childhood education was homeschooled until she joined Buckingham Friends School and then DePauw University in 1919.
Later in the year, Mead moved to Barnard College, in which she embraced anthropology under the tutelage of Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict.

Mead's early academic experiences were the most important in her evolution into an anthropologist.
At Barnard, she learned cultural anthropology and started to ponder that people's actions are not determined by genes but by culture.
Her interaction with Boas and Benedict shaped her research perspectives, especially her emphasis on ethnography and culture.

Mead got her bachelor's degree in 1923 and immediately continued her education at Columbia University, where she received her M.A. in 1924.
Her first fieldwork was the study of adolescence in a primitive society, which she undertook in Samoa in 1925.
Mead's analysis, based on the impact of Samoan culture on youth, shaped her famous book, Coming of Age in Samoa.
The conclusions made in the book were contrary to the Eurocentric view of human evolution and served as the basis for Mead's further research.

Legacy

It is impossible to doubt Margaret Mead's importance in the world of anthropology of the twentieth century.
Her work on cultural determinism broke away from traditionalist views of biological influences on human behavior.
She was a significant contributor to making anthropology known to the public.

Thanks to Mead's talent for explaining anthropological ideas to everyone, she became a public figure whose impact was not limited to her profession.
Mead's work transformed anthropology and influenced debates on gender, sexual, and child-rearing practices in the West.
Her retransformed anthropology made her realize that societies had complex and flexible gender systems, which facilitated the change of gender roles in the United States.

Her contributions to child development, especially culture and socialization in childhood, impacted education and parenting for the whole of the twentieth century.
Other social issues that Mead highlighted include the following: she was an activist in environmental conservation, women's rights, and nuclear disarming and applied anthropological knowledge in policymaking.
Her presidency in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and her work in the American Museum of Natural History also contributed to the visibility of anthropology as a science with practical applications.

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Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
You will become a featured Ambassador.
Learn more ->
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$15
$25

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Come build your legacy!

Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
You will become a featured Ambassador.
Learn more ->
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$15
$25

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Milestone moments

Dec 25, 1925

Fieldwork in Samoa
Margaret Mead began her first anthropological field trip to Samoa.
This study aimed to explore adolescence in a culture different from the Western world.
She later used these in her classic work, Coming of Age in Samoa.
According to Mead, culture determines what adolescents go through in their developmental stage.
Therefore, this study provided a one-stop shop to challenge some Western theories on human development.

Feb 14, 1928

Publication of Coming of Age in Samoa
Mead published Coming of Age in Samoa, which is a bestselling book.
The book changed the course of anthropology by coming up with cultural relativism.
It claimed that Samoan adolescence was less stressful because of the cultural practices that were in place.
Mead's conclusions could have been more popular and initiated the discussions on culture instead of biology.

Nov 27, 1949

Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies
In 1935, Mead published Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies, another book that would profoundly impact the readership.
In this book, she describes gender roles in three different societies in Papua New Guinea.
She concluded that gender roles were not an innate part of human beings but rather a social construction.
This work was instrumental in developing the mid-twentieth century's feminist perspective.

May 15, 1975

President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Mead also assumed the presidency of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
This role made her one of the most respected public intellectuals in science.
She used her influence to address environmental conservation and nuclear power issues.
She reduced the gap between scientific discovery and policymaking during her presidency.

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