Reference:
Coming of Age in Samoa
Margaret Mead
1928 Harper Perennial
Summary:
With the exception of a great feast upon birth, little attention is paid to Samoan children. The babies are looked after by children a few years older then them, and these children are responsible for the basic learning of the babies. When these older children reach the age where they are able to contribute to their families, the babies they have looked after are old enough to look after new babies. The older children begin learning the various skills they require in Samoan society, but while the boys are pushed to excel (to a reasonable degree), the girls are more or less allowed to get by. Both sexes have motivation to do well, but are hesitant to take up the responsibility that comes with being an adult.
Discussion:
There's a poetic justice in the way the child rearing system is described. Though the babies figure out that they can coerce their caretakers into doing all kinds of things, when it comes time for them to take care of the newborns they discover what unholy terrors they had been. Beyond that, it sounds like the children live in a privelage system, where up to a certain point as they age they receive more privelages. After that point, however, privelages follow accomplishment (and in some cases, only as long as it is not too good of an accomplishment). It will be interesting to see if Mead examines this in closer detail.
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