• Sex and Temperament

• Title: Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies
• Author: Margaret Mead
• ISBN: 9780062566140

Margaret Mead's "Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies" is a groundbreaking anthropological study challenging Western assumptions about gender roles. Through observations of the Arapesh, Mundugumor, and Tchambuli tribes in Papua New Guinea, Mead demonstrates that temperament isn't inherently linked to sex. She reveals societies where both men and women exhibit traits considered masculine or feminine in the West, and even societies where traditional gender roles are reversed. This insightful work explores the influence of culture on shaping personality and behavior, offering a compelling argument for the malleability of human nature and the importance of cultural relativism in understanding gender. A seminal text in anthropology, gender studies, and sociology, sparking ongoing conversations about the social construction of gender.