Reference Information
Title: Coming of Age in Samoa
Author: Margaret Mead
Editors: Williams Morrow and Company (1928)
Chapter 7: Formal Sex Relations (24 pages)
Summary
In this chapter, Mead talks about the relations between boys and girls. In the early teens, girls become antagonistic towards boys. This fades in a few years when girls and boys are not in "age groups". There are two types of sex relations besides marriage: love affairs between unmarried people and adultery.
In love affairs, a boy will call the help of a "soa", a friend that acts as an ambassador between the boy and girl. Typically, a boy will choose either his brother or another girl. A brother is loyal but a girl (soafafine) is the most desirable. This is because girls understand other girls better. Soafafine are very hard to come by. Mead also goes on to talk about how virginity is thought to add to a girl's attractiveness. She finishes the chapter by discussing how women can never outrank their husband.
Discussion
"Sleep crawlers" were kinda creepy - "the curious form of surreptitious rape ... resorted to by youths who find favour in no maiden's eyes." It was interesting that adultery is relatively not frowned upon; I thought it would be the opposite.
In this chapter, Mead talks about the relations between boys and girls. In the early teens, girls become antagonistic towards boys. This fades in a few years when girls and boys are not in "age groups". There are two types of sex relations besides marriage: love affairs between unmarried people and adultery.
In love affairs, a boy will call the help of a "soa", a friend that acts as an ambassador between the boy and girl. Typically, a boy will choose either his brother or another girl. A brother is loyal but a girl (soafafine) is the most desirable. This is because girls understand other girls better. Soafafine are very hard to come by. Mead also goes on to talk about how virginity is thought to add to a girl's attractiveness. She finishes the chapter by discussing how women can never outrank their husband.
Discussion
"Sleep crawlers" were kinda creepy - "the curious form of surreptitious rape ... resorted to by youths who find favour in no maiden's eyes." It was interesting that adultery is relatively not frowned upon; I thought it would be the opposite.
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