description Derek Freeman Overview
Derek Freeman was a New Zealand anthropologist whose work focused in part on social life and kinship among the Iban of Borneo. He became widely known for Margaret Mead and Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth (1983), which challenged Mead's interpretation of adolescent experience in Samoa and prompted a major dispute over field methods, cultural interpretation, and the reliability of anthropological evidence.
help Derek Freeman FAQ
What is Derek Freeman best known for?
Derek Freeman is best known for challenging Margaret Mead's interpretation of Samoa. His book Margaret Mead and Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth was published in 1983.
What did Derek Freeman study in Borneo?
Freeman studied social life and kinship among the Iban of Borneo. His work on the Iban formed an important part of his career as a New Zealand anthropologist.
What was Freeman's disagreement with Margaret Mead?
Freeman argued that Mead's account of Samoan adolescence was based on a mistaken interpretation of Samoan society. The dispute became one of the most widely discussed controversies in twentieth-century anthropology.
Was Derek Freeman a New Zealand anthropologist?
Yes, Derek Freeman was a New Zealand anthropologist. His research included the Iban of Borneo as well as the later critique of Margaret Mead's Samoan work.
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