The book ‘Coming of Age in Samoa’ bore sub-title, ‘A Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilization’. The book launched Mead as a pioneering researcher and established her as one of the most famous anthropologists in the world.

In each preface of the book, the author has discussed the difference in the world of readers for whom it would be published. The book has been republished four times in 1939, 1949, 19. ‘Coming of Age in Samoa’ is Mead’s first book published in the year 1928. Configurationalism, the identification of salient cultural characteristics, representing the patterns of culture, and their presentation in a familiar psychological idiom, was the forerunner of reconciliation between historical particularism of Boas and psychoanalysis of scholars of culture personality school. She was a student of both Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict. After they reached years of discretion, nine or ten years of age in this case, they may not touch each other, sit close together, eat together, address each other familiarly, or mention any salacious matter in each other's presence.' A Samoan village is made up of some thirty or forty households The first baby must always be born in the mother's village and if she has gone to live in the village of her husband, she must go home for the occasion After weaning babies are usually handed over to the care of some younger girl in the household.Margaret Mead, one of the leaders of the Culture and Personality school of Thought was a leading lady anthropologist of Columbia University.

Relatives of opposite sex have 'a most rigid code of etiquette prescribed for all their contacts with each other. What is the taupo? the ceremonial princess of the house, named by a high chief in each village at about fifteen or sixteen. a headman who presides over a household and exercises nominal and usually real authority over every individual under his protection, even over his father and mother. Who gives disciplinary authority within the household? 'age rather than relationship' The matai.

Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead