Book Reading #38: Coming of Age in Samoa

Chapter 13
Summary
This chapter compares the Samoan and American youth. Mead discusses the difference in the social environments between the two cultures. She mentions that American children have many more choices as compared to children in Samoa. The Samoan child knows about life, death and sex. She states that no Samoan child is spoiled.

Education

She mentions that American children go to school to pursue their interests and goals. On the other hand Samoan children start assisting the elders in everyday work of the society.

Display of affection:

Samoans do not display their feelings and affection as openly and with the same magnitude as the American youth.

Discussion

I we see carefully, all primitive cultures are more or less the same, while all the developed cultures are pretty much the same. School is a sign of development, and that's why a kid from developed culture like America would could to school to achieve formal education. If the high school and college degrees mark the person's level of education and intelligence then every kid has to go to school. On the other hand, the skills of a Samoan kid are marked by his acumen in fishing, farming, carpentry etc. and so, he starts to get involved in these jobs from a very young age.