Who is Derek Freeman and what did he try to prove in regards to Margaret Mead and her book and anthropological study?
John Derek Freeman (15 August 1916 – 6 July 2001) was a New Zealand anthropologist known for his criticism of Margaret Mead’s work on Samoan society, as described in her 1928 ethnography Coming of Age in Samoa. His attack “ignited controversy of a scale, visibility, and ferocity never before seen in anthropology.”
What did Derek Freeman discover?
While in the islands, Freeman stated that he discovered that Mead was wrong about Samoan culture and felt responsible for refuting her work, thus establishing a linear progression in his critique of Mead from his own first trip to the islands to the eventual publication, some four decades later, of Margaret Mead and …
Who disagreed with Margaret Mead?
Prof. Derek Freeman
Prof. Derek Freeman, who challenged Margaret Mead’s famous account of adolescent sexuality in Samoa, provoking a fierce anthropological controversy, died July 6 in Canberra, Australia. He was 84. Dr.
What is the Mead Freeman debate?
In the Mead–Freeman controversy, Ian Jarvie has supported much of Derek Freeman’s critique of Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa, arguing that Samoan society was sexually repressive rather than sexually permissive, that Mead was “hoaxed” about Samoan sexual conduct, that Mead was an “absolute” cultural determinist.
Why was Coming of Age in Samoa controversial?
Many American readers felt shocked by her observation that young Samoan women deferred marriage for many years while enjoying casual sex before eventually choosing a husband. As a landmark study regarding sexual mores, the book was highly controversial and frequently came under attack on ideological grounds.
What did Margaret Mead do wrong?
Derek Freeman’s assertion that Margaret Mead’s view of Sa- moan sexual conduct was the result of a “prank” or “hoax” by Samoans has been the most damaging part of the Mead- Freeman controversy for Mead’s reputation.
Who is the most famous anthropologist?
Margaret Mead, 1901-1978: One of the Most Famous Anthropologists in the World.
Why was Margaret Mead so influential?
Why is Margaret Mead famous? Margaret Mead was an American anthropologist best known for her studies of the peoples of Oceania. She also commented on a wide array of societal issues, such as women’s rights, nuclear proliferation, race relations, environmental pollution, and world hunger.