Episode 34: From the Archive - Margaret Mead

Origin Stories

Meredith Johnson

Natural Sciences, Science, Life Sciences

4.8 • 554 Ratings

🗓️ 10 January 2019

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this never-before-released archival lecture from 1974, anthropologist Margaret Mead discusses the lives of women from prehistoric through modern times.

Show Notes

The Leakey Foundation is 50 years old this year, and we're celebrating this milestone by sharing rare, previously unreleased lectures from the Foundation's archive. These talks are like a time capsule that lets you hear from scientists in their own words and in their own voices - as they were making the discoveries that made them famous.

The third lecture in this "From the Archive" series is by Margaret Mead, the world famous cultural anthropologist and author.

Margaret Mead was born in 1901 and she had a long and distinguished career as an anthropologist. She served as president of the American Anthropological Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Among other academic appointments, she was a curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where she worked from 1926 until her death in 1978. After her death, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. This award is the highest civilian honor given by the United States government

The citation on her award said - "Margaret Mead was both a student of civilization and an exemplar of it. To a public of millions, she brought the central insight of cultural anthropology: that varying cultural patterns express an underlying human unity. She mastered her discipline, but she also transcended it. Intrepid, independent, plain-spoken, fearless, she remains a model for the young and a teacher from whom all may learn."

Margaret Mead's Leakey Foundation lecture entitled "Women - Primitive and Modern" was recorded in Pasadena, California in 1974.

The Leakey Foundation

Origin Stories is a project of The Leakey Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and outreach. The Leakey Foundation funds cutting-edge research about human evolution and human behavior.

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Credits

Host and Series Producer: Meredith Johnson

Sound Engineer/Mix: Katie McMurran

Theme Music: Henry Nagle

Additional Music:

Lee Rosevere "Tech Toys"

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Origin Stories, the Leaky Foundation podcast.
0:12.7	I'm Meredith Johnson.
0:15.9	In this episode, we're continuing our 50th anniversary celebration,
0:19.5	with another rare and previously unreleased lecture from the Leakey Foundation's archive.
0:25.2	This time, it's from the world-famous cultural anthropologist and author, Margaret Mead.
0:30.9	Before we get started, though, I want to thank everyone who's donated to our quadruple match fundraising challenge for the podcast.
0:38.5	Your support has been amazing, and we've almost reached our goal already. If you don't know about our quadruple match
0:44.1	challenge, here's what it is. Three generous donors are matching all donations to origin stories,
0:49.8	four to one, up to a total of $5,000, so every dollar you give becomes $4 to support this show.
0:58.3	You can learn more at leakyfoundation.org slash origin stories challenge, and I'll be giving
1:03.6	a personal shout out to our most recent donors at the end of this episode.
1:07.8	Now, on to today's lecture from the archive. Today's lecture is a real treat. It's by Margaret Meade, a cultural anthropologist born in 1901, who studied and wrote about human cultures around the world, especially in the Pacific Islands. Margaret Meade's research looked at the interconnection of all aspects of human life,
1:34.4	from food production to ritual beliefs to childhood, family life, gender roles, sex, and parenting.
1:39.9	She was a wonderful writer and speaker, and she became a great popularizer of anthropology.
1:45.6	She took what she learned in her field research and used it to examine American life.
1:54.1	She spoke and wrote to popular audiences on a wide range of subjects, including the subject of the Leakey Foundation lecture she gave in 1974,
2:01.7	women, women's lives, women's rights, and the past, present, and future of women in American society.
2:08.2	She believed that cultural patterns like racism and sexism were learned and could be changed.
2:15.6	One of her most famous quotes is, never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
2:18.3	Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
2:24.7	Margaret Mead had a long career full of many honors. She served as president of the American Anthropological Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
2:30.4	Among other academic appointments, she was curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where she worked from 1926 until her death in 1978.
	...

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