From Margaret Mead's Field Notes: What Counted as “Sex” in Samoa? | Zendy

Grant Nicole J. | Zendy

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From Margaret Mead's Field Notes: What Counted as “Sex” in Samoa?

Author(s) -

Grant Nicole J.

Publication year - 1995

Publication title -

american anthropologist

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51

H-Index - 85

eISSN - 1548-1433

pISSN - 0002-7294

DOI - 10.1525/aa.1995.97.4.02a00100

Subject(s) - virginity test , cult , american samoa , criticism , sociology , gender studies , demography , history , genealogy , law , ancient history , political science

Derek Freeman based his criticism of Margaret Mead's claim of sexual freedom for adolescent girls in Samoa on two premises. The first—that there was a “cult of virginity”—has been disproved by scholars. The second—that the low incidence of premarital pregnancy precluded sexual freedom—has not been adequately addressed. Sexual freedom and a low incidence of pregnancy were not mutually exclusive. The key lies in consideration of what counted as sex in Samoa at the time.

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