Quest for the Real Samoa: The Mead/Freeman Controversy and Beyond [Hardcover]

Lowell D. Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1986 | ISBN-10: 0897891104 | ISBN-13: 978-0897891103

"Since the controversy began, Homes's restudy has been criticized by Freeman. Now Holmes has published his dissertation findings along with more recent observations on the controversy. Because he conducted the only explicit restudy of the Manu'a group, and because of his own extensive research in the islands over three decades, Holmes's Quest for the Real Samoa is worth reading. While the book will not resolve the controversy, it does provide an interesting perspective, some new data, and useful insights into the controversy. . . . Holmes concludes that Mead's work will endure, not because it was flawless or because it is a model for contemporary research, but precisely because it was pioneering and controversial. He sees the tragedy of the controversy in Freeman's almost exclusive focus on Mead, which could obscure Freeman's potential contribution to Samoan ethnography. This is where Freeman and Holmes differe fundamentally. For Freeman, the ultimate issue is the refutation of Mead's ideas on Samoan adolescence. For Holmes, it is a deeper appreciation of the possibilities of Samoan ethnography. To get beyond the Mead/Freeman controversy, it is this latter path that should be explored." American Anthropologist "Holmes has a special claim to be heard, for in 1954 he did a restudy of Tau, the same village Mead had worked in 29 years before. While Mr. Holmes disagrees with her on various points, he does not find the `truth' to be midway between Mead and Mr. Freeman. His work showed the quality of Mead's Samoan research to be `remarkably high,' while Mr. Freeman's refuation was, in Mr. Holmes's opinion, both methodologically shoddy and uncorroborated by the evidence." New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

While Derek Freeman's Margaret Mead and Samoa ( LJ 5/1/83) is certainly the most celebrated examination of Mead's ideas about Samoan culture, it is neither the first nor the best. In the mid-1950s, Holmes conducted research in the community where Mead had originally studied and found her work quite credible. Here he both reports on his restudy and tries to explain why Freeman arrived at such radically different conclusions. This book is important not only for its careful descriptions of Samoan life throughout the 20th century, but because it summarizes the critiques of Freeman's book that have appeared in professional journals worldwide. Glenn Petersen, Sociology & Anthropology Dept., Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Readers will enjoy this inside look at a scientific cause celebre.”–Booklist

“Worth reading. . . . For Freeman, the ultimate issue is the refutation of Mead's ideas on Samoan adolescence. For Holmes there is a deeper appreciation of the possibilities of Samoan ethnography. To get beyond the Mead/Freeman controversy, it is this latter path that should be explored.”–American Anthropologist

“Thanks to Holmes' compelling review of the `great debate,' we see [all these things] more clearly because he is acting as more than just an informed guide to the facts and the issues; he is providing an insightful exposition on the nature of anthropological inquiry.”–Science Books & Films

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 211 pages
• Publisher: Bergin & Garvey (November 30, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897891104
• ISBN-13: 978-0897891103
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,830,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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