Book Reading #9 - Coming of Age in Samoa

Chapter 3: The Education of a Samoan Child

Summary:

In this chapter, Margaret Mead talks about the education of a child born in a Samoan village. The child has to be born in the mother's village. After the child is born, there's a big celebration and feast, however, the birthday is not important and the actual age may well be forgotten. Babies are always nursed. The baby is nursed by it's mother for a first few months and then the mother returns to her everyday work. The baby is then looked after by a child in the family of at least six-seven years of age. Education until the age of four is exceedingly simple. They must learn to sit, stand and crawl and some simple series of avoidances.

If the baby is too whiny, the weight of the punishment usually falls on the child who is responsible for nursing the baby. Each child is disciplined and socialized through responsibility for a still younger one. There are duly constituted elders in authority to punish the older children who can't keep the babies still. By the time the child is six or seven and if it's a girl, she learns to weave simple mats, pin wheels and baskets from leaves of various trees. She is taught to tidy the house and bring water from the sea. Little boys are admitted to interesting and important activities like fishing and farming. Little boys first undergo the chastening effects of baby tending and then have many opportunities to learn effective cooperation under the guidance and supervision of the older boys, the girls' education is less comprehensive. Girls are given more strenuous jobs near the age of puberty. Bulk of the cooking is done by the boys while the girls have to do the heavier work. Eventually girls are taught more skilled work like weaving intricate patterns and baskets and boys advance their fishing and farming skills. In the house, the girl's principle task is to weave. A boy has to specialize is some type of activity or profession like being a house-builder, fisherman, orator, farmer or wood carver.

Discussion:

I think the education system in Samoan village is sufficiently good to sustain their life standards. Their daily activities include fishing, farming, cooking, weaving and some fine work like carpentry and house building. Children are given sufficient knowledge about these activities and skills at the right age and under the supervision of elders. Men are taught skilled work and work like requires muscle, while women are made expert at weaving and other household activities. They are taught enough to live a peaceful and happy life. Since they rely on bare minimum requirements, they do not need extensive education about technology, sciences and math.