ONLY WITHIN THE LAST
FEW GENERATIONS
HAS MAN TURNED TO LOOK
OBJECTIVELY AT HIMSELF...
TO STUDY HIS OWN POSITION
IN THE PATTERN OF THE WORLD
THROUGH
ANTHROPOLOGY.
MARGARET MEAD,
INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
ANTHROPOLOGIST OF THE AMERICAN
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
HAS COME TO THE TOWER ROOM
AT THE MUSEUM YEAR AFTER YEAR
TO ANALYZE AND INTERPRET
THE KNOWLEDGE SHE HAS GAINED
FROM LIVING AMONG THE
PRIMITIVE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD.
TODAY MARGARET MEAD STOPS
WORK ON HER LATEST BOOK
TO TALK WITH WILLIAM MITCHELL,
YOUNG ANTHROPOLOGIST.
ALL THAT'S DISAPPEARED TODAY
AND NOW WE'RE ALL IN ONE BOAT.
AS I'VE BEEN TELLING MY FRIENDS
ABOUT THIS IMPENDING TRIP
OF MINE TO THE SOUTH SEAS, I
KEEP GETTING THE STEREOTYPE
OF THE HAPPY SAVAGE - YOU
KNOW, THE CAREFREE PEOPLE
DANCING THE HULA ALL
DAY ON A TROPICAL ISLAND
WITH SWAYING PALM TREES
AND BREEZES AND ALL.
DID YOU COME
ACROSS THAT?
OF COURSE I HAD IT 100% IN THE
20'S WHEN I WENT TO SAMOA
BECAUSE THE SOUTH
SEAS IN THOSE DAYS
REPRESENTED THIS
WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
EVEN THE SAMOAN, OR THE
TAHITIAN, WHO WERE THE REAL
IMAGE OF THE HAPPY SAVAGE, OF
COURSE WEREN'T ANYTHING LIKE
AS HAPPY AS THEY
LOOK TO US BECAUSE
WE JUST PUT THEM
IN A CATEGORY OF
THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
THEY DON'T HAVE
TO WEAR CLOTHES,
THEY CAN JUST
BATHE IN THE SEA.
THEY CAN HAVE FRESH
FLOWERS AROUND THEIR NECK.
THEY CAN MAKE LOVE TO A
DIFFERENT GIRL EVERY NIGHT
AND SHE'S ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL
AND NOBODY MINDS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY
WORK - THAT WAS THE PICTURE.
BUT FOR MOST OF THE PARTS OF
THE WORLD WHERE "SAVAGES" LIVE,
THEY LIVE IN THEM
BECAUSE THEY'RE SAVAGE
AND DIFFICULT PLACES AND
PEOPLE FROM CIVILIZATION
HAVE PUSHED THEM OUT OF
ALL THE LIVABLE PARTS
INTO THE JUNGLE AND THE
ARCTIC THAT IS SO SPARSELY
FURNISHED WITH
FOOD THAT IT TAKES
HUNDREDS OF ACRES
FOR ONE MAN.
IT'S A HORRID, MALARIA
INFESTED MANGROVE SWAMP
WHERE MOST OF THE PRIMITIVE
PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIVE.
AND THE LIFE THAT THEY
LIVE IS A REFLECTION
OF HOW HARD IT IS TO
GET FOOD, OF HOW MUCH
THEY DISTRUST EACH
OTHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T
UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE
CAUSES OF THE DISEASE AND THE
POVERTY AND THE THINGS THAT
OVERTAKE THEM ON AND ON.
SO THIS WHOLE IMAGE
OF HAPPY PRIMITIVE MAN
IS ONE THAT WE'VE COOKED
UP OUT OF OUR HEADS.
AT THE SAME TIME OF COURSE
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE
WHO ARE MUCH
HAPPIER THAN OTHERS.
SAMOANS WERE HAPPIER
ON THE WHOLE -
BETTER FED,
GAYER, HAPPIER,
THAN ANY OF THE PEOPLES
THAT I KNOW IN NEW GUINEA.
AND EVEN IN NEW GUINEA YOU
FIND FAIRLY TRUSTING, WARM,
FRIENDLY PEOPLE
ON ONE MOUNTAINTOP
AND YOU GO TEN MILES AWAY
AND FIND A VERY SUSPICIOUS
CANNIBALISTIC
SAVAGE SORT OF PEOPLE.
DIFFERENCES
OF THIS SORT,
DIFFERENCES IN WHAT WE
SOMETIMES CALL THE ETHOS,
THE EMOTIONAL
TONE OF A SOCIETY,
CAN GROW UP VERY EASILY
WITH THESE SMALL GROUPS.
YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK
AT SAY A TRIBE OF FIVE OR
SIX HUNDRED PEOPLE AND LOOK
AT THE LEADING PEOPLE IN IT.
AND SUPPOSE WE KILL FIVE OF THEM
AND LEAVE THE OTHER FIVE ALIVE.
SUPPOSE THEY'RE KILLED IN WAR
OR IN A HEAD HUNTING RAID
OR IN AN EPIDEMIC.
HOW WOULD THEY TIP THE
CULTURE IN ANOTHER DIRECTION?
AND JUST AS WE KNOW THAT
EVEN IN OUR GREAT SOCIETIES,
AN IDEOLOGY, A FEW LEADERS
WITH SOME NEW IDEAS
CAN GIVE A TREMENDOUSLY
CHANGED TILT
TO THE WHOLE OF
THE HUMAN SOCIETY.
YOU TAKE HENRY VIII AND
CROMWELL, ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
HITLER - TIPPING THEM
FOR GOOD OR FOR EVIL,
YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT CAN
HAPPEN WHEN YOU'VE ONLY GOT
MAYBE FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE
OR A THOUSAND PEOPLE.
SO THE DEATH OF ONE
PERSON INSTEAD OF ANOTHER
MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
AND YOU GET A TILT
IN ONE DIRECTION
OR ANOTHER.
I SUPPOSE THAT JUST ABOUT
EVERYONE IS FASCINATED
WITH THE STUDY
OF EXOTIC PEOPLES
AND READING ABOUT THEM,
BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL
THE ANTHROPOLOGIST CAN APPLY
ALL OF THIS VARIED INFORMATION
TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF
SAY OUR OWN CIVILIZATION?
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TAKE
EACH ONE OF THESE SOCIETIES
AS A KIND OF A LABORATORY
IN WHICH WE STUDY
SOME OF THE POSSIBILITIES
OF HUMAN NATURE.
AND THEN COME BACK AND SAY
HUMAN BEINGS COULD DO THIS
THAT WE THOUGHT
THEY COULDN'T DO.
AND WE HAVE TO RE-EXAMINE
OUR OWN CULTURE-BOUND,
ETHNOCENTRIC NOTIONS
OF HOW PEOPLE CAN LEARN
AND HOW
THEY CAN LIVE
AND WHAT KIND OF
PEOPLE THEY CAN BE
AND THEN RE-EXAMINING OUR
OWN NOTIONS AND WIDENING THEM
SO THAT WE HAVE A FAR GREATER
SENSE OF WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT DO,
COULD DO, THEN WE CAN GO
AHEAD AND MAKE CHANGES
THAT ARE CONSTANT
WITH OUR OWN SOCIETY
AND WITH OUR
OWN IDEALS.
NOW YOU MENTIONED
ABOUT PEOPLE
SOMETIMES BEING
CULTURE-BOUND
SUCH AS BELIEVING THAT
THEIR OWN SOCIETY IS THE BEST,
HAS THE BEST IDEOLOGY
AND WAY OF LIFE AND ALL,
HOW DO YOU COPE
WITH THAT SORT OF
- PARTICULARLY AMERICANS
WHO FEEL THAT THEY HAVE
THE BEST SOCIETY
IN THE WHOLE WORLD?
YES, AMERICANS ARE
PARTICULARLY LIKELY TO HAVE
THIS POINT OF VIEW
BECAUSE WE'RE MADE UP
OF PEOPLE WHO LEFT
OTHER COUNTRIES BECAUSE
THEY THOUGHT AMERICA
WAS GOING TO BE BETTER
AND WHEN THEY GOT HERE
WERE PRETTY BUSY SHOWING
THEIR COUSINS
THEY'D LEFT BEHIND
HOW MUCH BETTER IT WAS SO
THAT WE GRADUALLY BUILT UP
A PICTURE OF THE BEST
OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS
AND WE'VE BEEN
EXTRAORDINARILY FORTUNATE
TOO BECAUSE WE HAD THIS
GREAT EMPTY CONTINENT
WITH VAST RESOURCES
ON WHICH WE COULD BUILD
NEW WAYS OF LIFE
UNFETTERED BY THE PAST.
BUT OF COURSE IN DOING
IT WE'VE ENDED UP
WITH THIS PRETTY
NARROW NOTION
SO THAT ONE OF THE
MOST USEFUL THINGS
ANTHROPOLOGY CAN DO,
ESPECIALLY FOR AMERICANS
AND THERE ARE SOME
OTHER COUNTRIES
THAT NEED QUITE A LOT OF
IT TOO, UH, GREAT BRITAIN,
THE SCOTS - SCANDINAVIAN
COUNTRIES - ALL OF THEM.
THEY'RE FORTUNATE COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE FARED VERY WELL
IN RECENT HISTORY
AND TEND TO FEEL THAT
THEY HAVE THE BEST
SOLUTION TO THE WORLD.
THEY CAN ALL PROFIT BY A
KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTRASTS
BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND OTHER
SOCIETIES AND REALIZING THAT
THEIR CULTURE IS, COMPARATIVELY
SPEAKING, VERY RECENT,
VERY SPECIAL, AND ONLY
ONE VERSION OF THE WAY
IN WHICH HUMAN
BEINGS CAN DO THINGS.
THIS BRINGS US BACK AGAIN TO THE
CONCEPT OF CULTURE BOUNDNESS.
SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE KIND OF
MISCONCEPTIONS THAT CAN ARISE
WHEN WE APPLY OUR
CONCEPT OR IDEA OF WHAT
THE MARRIAGE PATTERN
FOR SOCIETY SHOULD BE
- SUCH AS IN OUR SOCIETY
IT'S MONOGAMY -
TO A GROUP WHO
ALLOW PROMISCUOUS
SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIPS.
AND THEN WE SAY THAT THEY
ARE BAD WHILE WE ARE RIGHT.
I KNOW... WELL, THIS
HAS SEVERAL VARIATIONS.
THE NOTION THAT SAVAGES
DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY
FROM THE WAY WE DO, THE
NOTION THAT WE'RE SUPERIOR,
MONOGAMY IS SUPERIOR AND
WE'RE SUPERIOR AND THEREFORE
THE PEOPLE THAT WE
PUT ON A LOWER SCALE
COULDN'T POSSIBLY
BEHAVE THE WAY WE DO.
AND THEN A LOT OF ODD
BELIEFS IN THE 19TH CENTURY
ABOUT EVOLUTION.
YOU SEE, THEY PUT US
AT THE TOP OF THE SCALE.
SO WHATEVER WE WERE HAD
TO BE FARTHEST AWAY FROM
WHAT THE MOST
PRIMITIVE MAN WAS.
SO THEY INVENTED SOMETHING
CALLED GROUP MARRIAGE
- WHICH WE NEVER
FOUND ANYWHERE -
AND THEN YOU WENT FROM GROUP
MARRIAGE TO MOTHER RIGHT -
NOBODY KNEW WHO
THE FATHER WAS;
AND THEN FINALLY
UP TO POLYGAMY
AND THEN TO
MONOGAMY,
THIS FLOWER OF
CIVILIZATION THAT WE HAVE.
NOW THIS IS MAINLY,
WE THINK TODAY,
A MYTH, THAT MONOGAMY
IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FORM
OF PAIR RELATIONS
IN THE HUMAN SPECIES.
IT TAKES A LOT OF MONEY
TO HAVE POLYGAMY -
AND THIS IS JUST A WAY OF
LOOKING AT IT FOR WIDOWS.
POLYGAMY'S NEVER
BEEN VERY WIDESPREAD
FOR THE WHOLE
OF THE POPULATION.
YOU CAN HAVE A KING
WITH A THOUSAND WIVES
OR YOU CAN HAVE A
CHIEF WITH 200 WIVES
OR YOU CAN HAVE THE TWO
OR THREE STRONGEST MEN
IN THE VILLAGE MAYBE
HAVE SIX OR SEVEN WIVES.
BUT THE BASIC FORM OF MARRIAGE
RIGHT AROUND THE WORLD
HAS ALWAYS
BEEN MONOGAMY.
AND SOME PEOPLE, OF COURSE,
HAVE THE KIND OF MONOGAMY
THAT YOU CAN'T REMARRY
AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WIDOWS.
MOST SEXUAL MORALITY IS BASED
ON WHAT YOU MAKE WOMEN DO,
NOT ON WHAT
YOU MAKE MEN DO.
AND THE MORE UNCOMFORTABLE
WE MAKE THE WOMEN
THE MORE MORAL
WE FEEL WE ARE.
NOW WE HAVE TODAY WHAT
COULD BE TECHNICALLY CALLED
BRITTLE OR
SERIAL MONOGAMY,
BECAUSE THE MINUTE YOU
PERMIT DIVORCE, OF COURSE,
PEOPLE MAY ALL BE MONOGAMOUS
AT ANY ONE MOMENT,
BUT THEY'RE NOT MARRIED
TO THE SAME PERSON.
AND TODAY, EXCEPT FOR
THOSE RELIGIOUS GROUPS
WHO DON'T
PERMIT REMARRIAGE,
WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS
SOMETHING THAT IS
A GOOD DEAL LIKE A GOOD
MANY VERY PRIMITIVE PEOPLE:
A FAIR DEGREE OF
FREEDOM OF CHOICE
AND A FAIR DEGREE OF
FREEDOM OF DIVORCE
IF A PARTICULAR MARRIAGE
DOESN'T WORK OUT.
THE POINT YOU MADE ABOUT
THE MORE WE MAKE WOMEN
UNCOMFORTABLE THE
MORE MORAL WE ARE
IS BOTH AMUSING AND
TRUE, AND IT BRINGS US TO
THE OLD, OLD STORY OF THE
WAR BETWEEN THE SEXES.
DO YOU FEEL THAT THIS
IS AN INHERENT CONFLICT
BETWEEN MEN
AND WOMEN?
IT'S AN INVENTION OF MADISON
AVENUE AT THE MOMENT I THINK,
WHERE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME
NOW WE'VE HAD A GROUP OF MEN
WHO CAME UP IN
THE 20'S AND 30'S -
AT A PERIOD WHEN
THE POSITION OF WOMEN
WAS SHIFTING AND HAVE
FOUND IT VERY AWKWARD.
AND IN THE WORLD OF TODAY
THERE ARE A FAIR NUMBER OF MEN
IN NEW YORK CITY WHO
LIKE TO PICTURE WOMEN
AS RAPACIOUS MONSTERS AND
WE GET THURVER DRAWINGS
AND WE GET TERRIBLE
PICTURES OF, OH, CAVEWOMEN
DRAGGING MEN AROUND BY
THE HAIR WHILE THE MAN
FOLDS HIS ARMS AND LOOKS
BLISSFUL AS IF HE LIKED IT.
AND THIS IS BEING VERY HEAVILY
BUILT UP IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S BEING FED BY
EUROPEAN NOTIONS.
WHEN EUROPEANS COME OVER
HERE THEY THINK THAT AMERICAN
WOMEN HAVE A GREAT DEAL
OF FREEDOM THEY DIDN'T HAVE.
AND THEY EMPHASIZE IT'S GOING
TO BE FED AGAIN, INCIDENTALLY,
AS WE GET MORE MIDDLE
EASTERNERS AND INDIANS
AND CHINESE LOOKING AT THE
SITUATION IN THIS COUNTRY
BECAUSE THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY
HORRIFIED THAT WOMEN ARE
TREATED LIKE PEOPLE AND
THEY WILL HAVE ALL SORTS
OF NIGHTMARES AS TO
WHAT IS LIKELY THE RESULT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SAY
THERE'S ANY ANTAGONISM
BETWEEN THE SEXES.
THERE IS ANTAGONISM
BETWEEN CERTAIN KINDS OF MEN
AND CERTAIN
KINDS OF WOMEN.
AND YOU CAN SET A SOCIETY UP
TO MINIMIZE THE ANTAGONISM
OR TO MAXIMIZE
THE ANTAGONISM.
IF YOU BRING GIRLS UP TO
BE SUBMISSIVE COMPLETELY
AND NEVER LET THEM
HEAR ABOUT ANYBODY
WHO ISN'T SUBMISSIVE,
NEVER EDUCATE THEM,
YOU CAN KEEP THEM SUBMISSIVE
AND QUITE CONTENT.
BUT OF COURSE IF THE NEXT TRIBE
HAS A DIFFERENT SORT OF THING,
OR THE NEXT NATION, THEN
YOU MAY HAVE SOME DIFFICULTIES
AND THAT'S WHAT'S
HAPPENING FOR INSTANCE
IN THE MIDDLE
EAST TODAY.
IT ISN'T THAT MUSLIM WOMEN
WANT TO BE MUSLIM MEN.
THEY WERE PERFECTLY
HAPPY TO BE MUSLIM WOMEN.
THEY THOUGHT THE
MEN HAD MUCH THE MORE
DIFFICULT ROLE IN THE
SOCIETY, BUT THEY WOULD
LIKE TO HAVE THE FREEDOM
THAT AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE
WHICH IS QUITE A
DIFFERENT THING.
OR IF YOU BRING THE MEN UP TO
BE DOMINANT AND RESPONSIBLE
AND TAKE ALL THE LOAD, AND
THEN GIVE THEM ALL THE LOAD,
DON'T SYMPATHIZE WITH
THEM, THEY DON'T MIND.
BUT TODAY YOU GET A CONTINUAL
COMPLAINT BY MEN OF THE
AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY
THEY'RE EXPECTED TO BEAR.
AND THEY ALSO COMPLAIN BECAUSE
WOMEN ARE LIVING LONGER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT.
SO THAT AT ANY POINT IN
HISTORY WHEN THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE
SEXES ARE CHANGING,
YOU'RE LIKELY TO GET
ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
NIGHTMARES ON THE
PART OF THE MEN
THAT THE WOMEN
ARE TAKING CONTROL
- YOU GET THEM WAY BACK
IN PRIMITIVE SOCIETY TOO.
WHEN I FIRST CAME IN HERE
TODAY YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE
WORKING ON THIS BOOK
FOR CHILDREN HERE.
AND IT SEEMS THAT YOU
MIGHT BE CONCERNED,
ALONG WITH MANY
OTHER PEOPLE,
ABOUT THE ROLE THAT
CHILDREN HAVE IN OUR SOCIETY
AND WHAT WE WANT
FOR THEM IN THE FUTURE.
WE DID A LOT OF
WORRYING JUST LIKE THIS
IN THE BEGINNING
OF WORLD WAR II...
JUST BEFORE
WORLD WAR II.
MAGAZINES WERE JUST
FILLED WITH ATTACKS
ON THE YOUNGER
GENERATION.
IT HAD NO CONSCIENCE, NO
DEDICATION, NO COMMITMENT,
NOTHING.
AND I REMEMBER I WAS TALKING
TO A GROUP JUST BEFORE
WORLD WAR II AND THE
STUDENTS SET UP QUESTIONS
AND ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS WAS
"OUGHT ONE TO
HAVE A CONSCIENCE?"
WELL, IF YOU'RE STILL
WORRYING WHETHER
YOU OUGHT TO HAVE
A CONSCIENCE OR NOT,
YOU HAVEN'T LOST YOUR
CONSCIENCE VERY FAR.
SINCE WORLD WAR II AND ALL
THESE YEARS OF THE COLD WAR
AND THE UNEASY PEACE
WE'VE AGAIN HAD A LOT OF
DISCUSSION AND A
LOT OF WORRY ABOUT
WHAT KIND OF YOUNG
PEOPLE WE'RE BRINGING UP.
IS IT POSSIBLE IN A SOCIETY
AS BIG AND COMPLEX AS THIS
TO HAVE MUCH SENSE OF INDIVIDUAL
RESPONSIBILITY ANYMORE?
ARE PEOPLE MAJORLY
INFLUENCED BY THE MASS MEDIA,
BY SYNTHETIC HEROES
AND HEROINES
THAT ARE CONSTRUCTED
BY THE MASS MEDIA,
OR WHAT SORT OF RESPONSIBILITY
DO WE HAVE TODAY?
I THINK IT IS TRUE THAT
PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPRESSED
BY THE SIZE OF
THE ENTERPRISE.
THEY'RE IMPRESSED WITH
THE SIZE OF THIS COUNTRY.
WHEN YOUNGSTERS
START PLANNING TO GO
TO COLLEGE TODAY THEY
THINK OVER ALL THE COLLEGES
IN THE UNITED STATES AND
ARRANGE THEM IN ORDER
AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR
CHANCES ARE TO GET IN.
EVERYTHING FROM HARVARD
DOWN TO THE SMALLEST
COLLEGE IN THEIR
OWN COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE THINKING IN NATIONAL
TERMS AND THIS MEANS IN A SENSE
THEY HAVE LESS SENSE OF
RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE
IT'S SUCH A VERY BIG
UNIT TO BE PART OF.
SO THERE ARE SERIOUS
QUESTIONS IN HOW WE'RE
GOING TO GIVE A REAL SENSE
OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE GROWING
UP AT THIS PERIOD IN HISTORY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT
WE HAVE TO DEPEND UPON WAR
TO STIR UP PATRIOTISM AND TO
DEVELOP THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE INDIVIDUAL
TOWARDS HIS COUNTRY.
WELL, OF COURSE THIS
HAS BEEN TRUE IN THE PAST.
WHETHER YOU WERE THINKING
EVEN OF LITTLE PRIMITIVE GROUPS
IN THE MIDDLE OF NEW GUINEA
OR THINKING OF GREAT NATIONS.
IT'S BEEN THE TIME WHEN
THE COUNTRY WAS IN DANGER
AND PEOPLE HAD TO
COME TO DEFEND IT
THAT HAS BEEN USED AS
A WAY OF BUILDING UP
PATRIOTISM AND IN THE
MEMORY OF SUCH DEFENSE,
WHETHER YOU'RE SWISS CHILDREN
GROWING UP ON WILLIAM TELL
OR AMERICAN CHILDREN GROWING
UP ON GEORGE WASHINGTON
OR ENGLISH CHILDREN GROWING
UP ON SIR FRANCIS DRAKE,
THE PICTURE OF THE HEROES
WHO SAVED THE COUNTRY
AND THE MEN WHO FOUGHT WITH
THEM HAS BEEN IN THE PAST
A VERY IMPORTANT
ELEMENT IN BUILDING UP
A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
AND THERE'S NO DENYING THAT.
SO WE'RE RATHER UP AGAINST IT
IN THE WORLD TODAY WHEN WE
REALIZE THAT WE CAN'T HAVE
THIS KIND OF WARFARE ANYMORE.
THAT THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU
CAN SAVE YOUR OWN COUNTRY
AT THE EXPENSE OF
ANOTHER COUNTRY.
AND THIS IS A NEW
SITUATION REALLY.
THAT IF THERE IS A MAJOR WAR
EVERYBODY GOES DOWN EQUALLY
AND THERE WON'T BE
ANY PEOPLE LEFT AT ALL.
AND THIS PRESENTS A PRETTY
COMPLICATED PROBLEM
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PEOPLE'S NEW KINDS OF...
WELL, ONE OF THE WORDS I
LIKE TO USE IS "NATIONHOOD"
RATHER THAN
NATIONALISM.
THE IDEA OF NATIONALISM WAS
EACH COUNTRY ALL FOR ITSELF
AS OVER AGAINST
THE OTHERS
EITHER BECAUSE THEY
WERE GOING TO ATTACK IT
OR BECAUSE IT WANTED
TO ATTACK THEM
AND NIX THEM OR EXPLOIT THEM
OR DO SOMETHING WITH THEM.
NOW NATIONHOOD, ON THE OTHER
HAND, IS ONE OF THESE WORDS
WHERE LIKE BROTHERHOOD AND
MOTHERHOOD OR STATEHOOD,
IT'S A GOOD WORD AND
IT MEANS THAT YOU'RE
PART OF SOMETHING,
A PART OF A WHOLE.
AND WE'RE JUST BEGINNING TO
THINK OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE
TO HAVE THE KIND
OF RESPONSIBILITY
THAT GOES WITH
NATIONHOOD IN THE WORLD.
I SUPPOSE WE AS
ANTHROPOLOGISTS
ARE MORE AWARE OF
THE VERY DRASTIC
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND
POLITICAL CHANGES
THAT ARE GOING ON AMONG
THE PRIMITIVE PEOPLES
ALL OVER THE WORLD
AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE
MANY, MANY STUDIES THAT
ATTEST TO THIS TRANSITION
SUCH AS YOUR WORK WITH THE
MANUS IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RATE
OF CHANGE THAT IS GOING ON
AMONG THE CIVILIZED
PEOPLES OF THE WORLD?
THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE NEGLECT
A GOOD DEAL OF THE TIME.
WE ALWAYS TALK TODAY ABOUT OTHER
PEOPLE CATCHING UP WITH US.
WE TALK ABOUT
UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES
AND WE TREAT OURSELVES
AS A DEVELOPED COUNTRY.
AND WE FORGET THAT WE'RE
PROBABLY GOING TO GO THROUGH
A CHANGE IN THE NEXT
QUARTER OF A CENTURY
THAT MAY BE EVEN MORE
DRASTIC AND STRIKING
THAN THE CHANGES THAT
THESE PRIMITIVE PEOPLES
HAVE GONE
THROUGH.
PARTLY BECAUSE WHEN A
PRIMITIVE GROUP LIKE THE MANUS
MAKE A CHANGE AND USE US AS
A MODEL THEY'VE GOT A MODEL.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE
INTO A KIND OF CIVILIZATION
THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INVENT
THE MODEL AS WE GO ALONG.
THAT'S MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT OF COURSE
AND THE STEPS AREN'T
ALL LAID OUT FOR YOU.
AND THE WHOLE EFFECT
OF AUTOMATION,
OF MAN HAVING UNLIMITED POWER
- AS WE EXPECT WE WILL HAVE
WHEN WE BEGIN TO GET SOLAR
ENERGY - SO THE WHOLE RATIO
BETWEEN ENERGY AND
INDIVIDUAL WORK WILL DISAPPEAR.
THE POSSIBILITY OF AT
LEAST EXPLORING SPACE
AND INCLUDING SPACE IN OUR
VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE WE LIVE IN
IN A WAY WE
NEVER HAVE BEFORE.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING
TO MAKE TREMENDOUS CHANGES
IN OUR SOCIETY AND
WE CAN EXPECT THAT
THE CHILDREN BORN TODAY
ARE GOING TO SEE ENORMOUS
CHANGES BY THE TIME THEY'RE
YOUNG MARRIED PEOPLE.
NOW SUPPOSE WE HAD
AN ANTHROPOLOGIST
WRITING MANY
YEARS HENCE.
HOW DO YOU THINK HE WOULD
CHARACTERIZE OUR CIVILIZATION?
I THINK IF HE WERE
TO LOOK BACK,
AND LOOK BACK AS
AN ANTHROPOLOGIST,
HE'D LOOK BACK VERY MUCH
THE WAY WE LOOK BACK
AND WE SEE THE FIRST MEN
WHO KNEW HOW TO KEEP FIRE
BUT DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO MAKE IT
WANDERING UP INTO
COLDER COUNTRY
AND ENTIRELY DEPENDENT
UPON THAT FIRE,
AND WE LOOK BACK
AND WE SEE THAT
IF SOMEONE HAD LET
THE FIRE GO OUT
THE ONLY GROUP THAT
HAD MOVED AHEAD
MIGHT HAVE
BEEN DESTROYED.
SO THAT AT SOME POINT IN HISTORY
THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION
AS WE KNOW IT MAY HAVE DEPENDED
ON VERY FEW MEN IN ONE PLACE.
NOW IF I WERE LOOKING BACK,
OR AN ANTHROPOLOGIST
WERE LOOKING BACK A
THOUSAND YEARS FROM NOW
I THINK HE'D SEE THIS
AGE AS A PERIOD WHEN
THE WHOLE FUTURE
OF MANKIND
AGAIN DEPENDED ON
WHAT ONE GENERATION DID.
AND OF COURSE
WHAT HE'D ALSO SEE
IS THAT WE HAVEN'T
REALIZED THIS YET.
THAT INSTEAD WE'RE CAUGHT IN
THE STRUGGLE OF NEW NATIONS
INTOXICATED WITH THE
POSSIBILITY OF NATIONHOOD,
OR NATIONALISM UNFORTUNATELY
IN MANY INSTANCES,
WE'RE CAUGHT WITH THE
STRUGGLES BETWEEN
IDEOLOGIES THAT
APPEAR INCOMPATIBLE.
WE'RE CAUGHT WITH INTOXICATION
WITH NEW GADGETS
AND WE'RE CAUGHT
WITH THE FACT
WE CAN KEEP
PEOPLE ALIVE LONGER
AND KEEP MORE OF THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN
ALIVE UNTIL
THEY GROW UP.
WE'RE INTOXICATED AND
PREOCCUPIED BY A WHOLE
SERIES OF POINTS THAT
EVADE THE MAJOR POINT,
AND THAT IS THE SURVIVAL
OF THE HUMAN RACE.
AS OUR MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE
INCREASES, DOES THIS MEAN
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
BUT OF SECOND
RATE CALIBRE?
IN THE FIRST PLACE WE HAVE TO
REALIZE THAT ALL OUR MEDICAL
KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BUILT
UP TODAY DEPENDS UPON,
OR HAS DEPENDED
UPON HISTORICALLY,
ON OUR WILLINGNESS
AND DESIRE
TO SAVE EACH
INDIVIDUAL LIFE.
AS LONG AS WE DIDN'T CARE
ABOUT SAVING EACH INDIVIDUAL.
MEDICAL DISCOVERIES
WERE MADE
AND VERY LITTLE
WAS DONE WITH THEM.
THERE'S A DEFINITE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
VALUING EACH INDIVIDUAL
AND GREAT SUMS OF MONEY
AND EFFORT AND TIME THAT WE
PUT INTO MEDICAL RESEARCH.
AND IT'S A VERY SMALL PRICE
TO PAY FOR THE KIND OF SOCIETY
THAT WILL VALUE
EACH INDIVIDUAL
THAT WE HAVE TO SAVE
SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY
REMAIN THROUGHOUT
LIFE HANDICAPPED.
SO WE CAN EXPECT TO FIND AN
INCREASE IN THE PROPORTION
OF THE SURVIVING
HANDICAPPED...
THE SORT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD
DIE UNDER OTHER CONDITIONS,
WHO ARE BOTH FEEBLE MINDED
AND POORLY FUNCTIONING
IN MANY OTHER WAYS.
BUT THAT IS A SMALL GROUP AND I
THINK A VERY SMALL PRICE TO PAY.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE
WHOLE QUESTION THAT WE'RE
SAVING PEOPLE WHO ARE
WEAKER IN PARTICULAR RESPECTS.
WE'LL SAVE MORE BLIND PEOPLE
AND MORE DEAF PEOPLE.
WE'LL SAVE PEOPLE
WITH ALLERGIES AND WE'LL
SAVE PEOPLE WITH ALL SORTS
OF CURIOUS SENSITIVITIES.
AND PROBABLY WHEN WE DO
THIS WE WILL ALSO BE SAVING
KINDS OF GENIUS THAT WE'VE
NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SAVE BEFORE.
IT'S PERFECTLY POSSIBLE THAT YOU
HAVE VARIOUS SORTS OF LINKAGES,
GENETIC LINKAGES THAT MEAN THAT
CERTAIN KINDS OF GREAT SKILLS,
GREAT IMAGINATIVE
ABILITIES HAVE PERISHED
RIGHT THROUGH THE
GENERATIONS BECAUSE
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SAVE
A CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON...
A CHILD WITH DIABETES OR A CHILD
WITH ONE OF THE EPILEPSIES
OR SOMETHING
OF THE SORT.
SO I THINK WE ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO WIDEN
THE RANGE OF THE PEOPLE
WHO WE TREAT AS HUMAN.
AND WE BUILD OUR SOCIETY
SO THEY CAN LIVE IN IT,
SO THE DEAF CAN LIVE IN IT,
THE BLIND CAN LIVE IN IT,
PEOPLE WITH
SPECIAL DISABILITIES.
AT THE SAME TIME
WE MAY HOPE TO HAVE
A GREATER RANGE OF
HUMAN VARIABILITY
AND THEREFORE
GREATER ABILITY ALSO.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
MANY, MANY THINGS TODAY:
WAR, DEMOCRACY, SOCIETY
AND EVOLUTION AND SO FORTH
- BUT NOW WHAT ABOUT
THE ROLE OF THE MAN
AS A SPECIFIC
INDIVIDUAL?
IF THE INDIVIDUAL
WHO HAS ONLY,
AT LEAST IF HE'S
AN AMERICAN,
IF HE FEELS HE ONLY
HAS ONE LIFE TO LIVE
AND HE'S CONCERNED WITH
WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO
WITH THAT
SINGLE LIFE -
OF COURSE WE HAVE TO
REALIZE THAT OUR DEFINITION
OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS PRETTY
PECULIAR AND SPECIAL -
A LARGE PART OF THE WORLD
THINKS OF THE INDIVIDUAL AS
SOMEONE WHO GOES THROUGH
ONE INCARNATION AFTER ANOTHER,
LIVING MANY,
MANY LIVES.
TRADITIONALLY IN OUR RELIGIOUS
TRADITION WE HAVE GIVEN
MEANING TO THE LIFE ON EARTH
BY THE LIFE AFTER DEATH.
AND SOMETIMES WE'VE GIVEN SO
MUCH MEANING TO LIFE AFTER DEATH
THAT WE'VE HAD
ALMOST NO TIME AT ALL
FOR WHAT WAS
HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.
THIS WAS A
PILGRIMAGE,
ONE WENT A WEARY PILGRIMAGE
THROUGH THE WORLD,
OR IT WAS THE DUTY OF PEOPLE
ON EARTH TO COLONIZE HEAVEN,
HAVE BEEN THE WAYS
PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.
AND EVERY GENERATION HAS
TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM
OF WHAT KIND OF MEANING
IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE LIFE
OF THE INDIVIDUAL BY
THE SOCIETY HE LIVES IN,
BY THE PAST THE
SOCIETY HAS HAD,
FOR THE FUTURE
THAT IT WILL HAVE
AND BY HIS RELIGIOUS
VIEW OF THE WORLD.
IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE,
OF COURSE, TO REALIZE
THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE
ALIVE TODAY ON THIS EARTH
THAN ALL THE HUMAN BEINGS
WERE EVER ALIVE ON THIS EARTH
UP TO SOMEWHERE
IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
THAT MAKES YOU
STOP AND THINK.
NOW WHEN YOU SAY "WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN
TO THE INDIVIDUAL
IN THIS WORLD OF
SO MANY MORE PEOPLE AND
SO MUCH RAPID CHANGE?
IT'S GOING TO BE A QUESTION
OF HOW WE'RE ABLE TO PHRASE
THE POSITION OF THE INDIVIDUAL
TO MAKE HIS LIFE MEANINGFUL.
IF HE SEES THE FACT THAT
THERE ARE MANY MORE LIKE HIM
IN THE WORLD AS DEMEANING,
THEN WE TALK ABOUT MASS MAN,
AND THERE'S SOMETHING
WRONG WITH EACH ONE
BECAUSE THERE
ARE MORE OF THEM
AND WE ASSUME IF THERE WERE
ONLY TEN PEOPLE ON EARTH
THE VALUE OF EACH
ONE WOULD BE GREATER.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE KIND
OF SOCIETY THAT TEN PEOPLE
ONCE BUILT AS A VERY
MEAGER, SMALL LITTLE GROUP
YOU'RE NOT SO
CONVINCED THAT THE
IMPORTANCE OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL IS INCREASED
JUST BECAUSE HE
HAS A LARGER...
HE HIMSELF HAS A BIGGER
PROPORTION OF WHAT'S THERE.
SO WE CAN SEE THE PART
THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL PLAYS
AS A FUNCTION OF THE
GRANDEUR OF THE WHOLE EFFORT,
THEREFORE THE GREATER
AND GRANDER IT BECOMES
THE MORE IMPORTANT
EACH INDIVIDUAL BECOMES.
OR WE CAN FEEL THAT
EACH INDIVIDUAL IS DEMEANED
AND REDUCED BECAUSE OF
THE INCREASING SIZE BECAUSE
WE KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT
THE LENGTH OF LIFE ON EARTH,
THE POSSIBLE LENGTH
OF THE FUTURE BECAUSE
WE KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT
THE EXPLORATION OF SPACE.
SOME PEOPLE FEEL
THIS DWARFS MAN,
AND OTHER PEOPLE FEEL
THAT IT ENNOBLES HIM.
AND THIS IS ONE OF
THE CHOICES WHICH
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
BE PRESENTING TODAY.
THEN THERE'S ANOTHER
ASPECT OF THE WHOLE PICTURE
AND THAT'S THE EXTENT TO
WHICH MODERN TECHNOLOGY
MAKES EACH
INDIVIDUAL ACT RESONATE.
ANY INDIVIDUAL TODAY WHO WRITES
A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MUSIC
HAS AN AUDIENCE SUCH AS NO
MUSICIAN EVER HAD BEFORE.
ANYONE WHO WRITES A POEM HAS
AN IMMEDIATE POSSIBLE AUDIENCE
GREATER THAN ANYONE
EVER HAD BEFORE.
AND IF WE SEE OUR GREAT MODERN
CIVILIZATION WITH ITS MASS MEDIA
AS A NEW KIND OF RESONATING
SYSTEM THAT CAN BE TAPPED
BY ANY INDIVIDUAL
IN ANY SPOT,
WE GET A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
PICTURE OF WHETHER
THE INDIVIDUAL IS BEING
DWARFED OR ENNOBLED.
YOU KNOW, DR. MEAD,
TALKING WITH YOU
IS ALWAYS REWARDING
AND STIMULATING.
IN FACT, I FEEL LIKE
GETTING ON THE NEXT PLANE
AND GETTING RIGHT
ON OUT TO THE FIELD.
WELL, I HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO,
BILL, BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY
STARTING OUT AT JUST THE
MOST EXCITING MOMENT,
MAYBE THE MOST EXCITING
MOMENT IN HUMAN HISTORY.
WE'VE GONE FAR ENOUGH
NOW WITH ANTHROPOLOGY,
WITH PSYCHOLOGY, WITH OUR
STUDIES OF SMALL CHILDREN,
SO WE'RE BEGINNING
TO KNOW SOMETHING
ABOUT HUMAN
BEHAVIOR.
WE'RE BEGINNING TO
KNOW THE SORT OF THING
ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR THAT
THE NATURAL SCIENCES KNOW
AND THAT HAVE MADE IT
POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO DO
ALL THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE
IN THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS.
AND NOW WE'RE JUST ENTERING
A PERIOD OF THE HUMAN SCIENCES
WHERE WE CAN USE THE
SAME KIND OF METHOD
AND KNOWLEDGE
AND DEVOTION
THAT GAVE US OUR RESULTS
IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES
BUT COMBINED WITH A VERY
DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS
THE WORLD BECAUSE WE WON'T
BE DEALING WITH THINGS,
WE'LL BE DEALING
WITH HUMAN BEINGS.
AND I THINK THERE'S A
POSSIBILITY THAT THE NEXT
25 YEARS, IN ADDITION
TO BEING CRUCIAL
FOR THE FATE OF MANKIND,
FOR MANKIND'S SURVIVAL,
ARE GOING TO PERHAPS BE
EQUALLY CRUCIAL FOR MANKIND
FOR THOUSANDS
OF YEARS TO COME
BECAUSE OF WHAT
THE HUMAN SCIENCES
AND THAT MEANS ANTHROPOLOGY
- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU AND ME -
ARE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE.
THE NBC TELEVISION
NETWORK HAS PRESENTED
A CONVERSATION WITH
MARGARET MEAD,
INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
ANTHROPOLOGIST OF THE
