Book Reading #9: Coming of Age in Samoa

Reference Information:

Title: Coming of Age in Samoa

Author: Margaret Mead

Editors: Williams Morrow and Company (1928)

Summary: In this section, Mead discusses the early years of a child's life. When they are very young, the children of the tribe are taken care of by the older girls. Once they reach roughly the age of 5, the girls are given and education in childcare, so that they can look after those younger than them.

Discussion: It was interesting to see the early years of the Samoan women. The fact that children are given such important responsibilities at a young age surprised me. In our culture we give children responsibilities at a much older age, and they're usually small duties. To put 5 year old children in charge of child care is almost unfathomable by today's standards.