Margaret Mead wrote this comprehensive sketch of the culture of the United States - the first since de Tocqueville - in 1942 at the beginnning of the Second World War, when Americans were confronted by foreign powers from both Europe and Asia in a particularly challenging manner. Mead's work became an instant classic. It was required reading for anthropology students for nearly two decades, and was widely translated. It was revised and expanded in 1965 for a second generation of readers. Among the more controversial conclusions of her analysis are the denial of class as a motivating force in American culture, and her contention that culture is the primary determinant for individual character formation. Her process remains lucid, vivid, and arresting. As a classic study of a complex western society, it remains a monument to anthropological analysis.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insight after September 11 from 50 years ago--Who WE are!,
By A Customer
This review is from: And Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America (Margaret Mead: the Study of Contemporary Western Cultures) (Hardcover)
After the disaster of September 11 I was casting around for something that would help Americans understand themselves. What an astonishing discovery to hit on this study by Margaret Mead. This must have been one of the first books ever written about American culture, and how right she was! She points out 50 YEARS AGO 1. That Americans can't stand to wait for anything--they have to take action and move forward. 2. That Americans forget their recent past in favor of a more distant mythic past 3. That parental love depends on achievement (read Little League dads and moms). The picture is balanced. There is a lot of great stuff about American pioneering spirit and loyalty too. This just blew me away. I am Chinese American (3rd generation) and this is about my family as much as anyone of European origin. Anyone who doesn't believe that there is an American culture needs to read what Ms. Mead said so long ago. It makes you think, and makes you wonder if we ever will learn enough about ourselves to change our negative behavior while preserving all our positive traits. A great read, and a great chance to look at ourselves.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Classic Work on American Culture,
By A Customer
This review is from: And Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America (Margaret Mead: the Study of Contemporary Western Cultures) (Hardcover)
Anyone interested in American Culture needs to read Margaret Mead's classic work. Reading through this book is like getting to know your relatives again. I just kept nodding and saying, "Wow! She got it so right!" In this year when the elections are bringing American values into focus, it is time to realize that Margaret Mead and De Tocqueville had it right a long time ago. And speaking of De Tocqueville, someone had a nice idea asking Frenchman Herve Varenne to write the clever introduction.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still on target,
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This review is from: And Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America (Margaret Mead: the Study of Contemporary Western Cultures) (Hardcover)
"The way that people behave is all of a piece, their virtues and their sins, the way they slap the baby, handle their court cases, and bury their dead. It would be impossible to suddenly introduce 'democracy' ... into an undemocratic society -as it would suddenly to introduce feudalism into a modern American city."
Even more applicable today.
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