Margaret Mead

What was Margaret Mead’s study called

Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies.

What did Mead investigate

Mead conducted research on three New Guinea tribes: the Arapesh, Mundugumor and Tchambuli. Her findings showed that different cultures had different expectations of male and female behaviour.

What did Mead find about the Arapesh tribe

Both men and women had characteristics that Westerners traditionally associated with femininity. They were gentle and nurturing, and both fathers and mothers actively participated in childcare.

What did Mead find about the Mundungmor tribe

Both males and females were expected to be aggressive and ruthless. Both genders were associated with traits traditionally regarded as masculine in Western culture.

What did Mead find about the Tchambuli tribe

The Tchambuli had expectations that reversed traditional Western gender roles. Women worked and provided for the family, while men wore jewellery and were more emotional.

What is significant about Mead’s findings

The findings suggest that gender expectations differ between cultures. Behaviours traditionally associated with men or women in Western society were not universal across the three tribes.

How does Mead’s finding show cultural relativity

The findings suggest that gender expectations differ between cultures. Behaviours traditionally associated with men or women in Western society were not universal across the three tribes.

How does the Hamar tribe illustrate intercultural diversity

The Hamar tribe is used as an example of intercultural diversity because boys have to jump over bulls in a rite of passage to prove their manhood.