Margaret Mead was a cultural anthropologist who lived on Samoa among the Polynesian people there for nine months and studied their behavior, particularly that of adolescent girls.
Mead reported that at dawn on Samoa, the people arise, fires are lit, fishermen plan to set traps, and young men head off to work on the plantations (Mead, 1939, 14-19). Women take their laundry to the sea, and older girls go fishing off the reef. Carpenters work on new houses, and the families who will cook that day prepare the vegetables and fruit which have already been brought from inland. There may be a pig to cook. The food gatherers return to the village with their collections, and everyone eats breakfast. People return to their tasks, and the others go to sleep. Children go swimming, and some women work at weaving.
As the sun begins to set, people stir again, the fishermen return with their catch, and separate the ôTaboo fishö which must be sent to the chief (Mead, 1939, 17). The men return from the plantations and gather at the guest house for kava drinking. As the sun finally sets, everyone straggles home for the evening meal with their family. First the head of the household, then the women and younger children, and lastly the boys, eat their evening meal. After supper, the old people and young children are sent to bed. If there is moonlight, people stroll through the village, children hunt for crabs, and some go fishing by torchlight. There may be dancing. People gradually drift home to sleep until dawn.
From birth to age four or five children learn to sit and crawl, but do not stand unless absolutely necessary (Mead, 1939, 23-38). They learn never to address an adult when standing, stay out of the sun, not to make a mess, to be careful of knives and fire, and not to touch the kava bowl or cup. By six or seven, the young girls learn to weave, make pinwheels of palm leaves, climb a coconut tree, tidy the house, fetch...