Understanding the Discourse of Early Childhood Education in 'Coming of Age in Samoa'
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| Title: | Understanding the Discourse of Early Childhood Education in 'Coming of Age in Samoa' |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Krek, Janez (ORCID |
| Source: | SAGE Open. Jan-Mar 2020 10(1). |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 10 |
| Publication Date: | 2020 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Early Childhood Education, Ethnography, Pacific Islanders, Culture, Differences, Females, Anthropology, Maturity (Individuals) |
| Geographic Terms: | Samoa |
| DOI: | 10.1177/2158244020902083 |
| ISSN: | 2158-2440 |
| Abstract: | The apparently readily comprehensible descriptive discourse in Margaret Mead's famous ethnographic study "Coming of Age in Samoa" (1928) (CAS) presents a discursive challenge that is greater than one might expect from a book that has gained a wide readership. Through theoretical analysis, and in relation to the notorious Mead/Freeman controversy, we seek to contribute to understanding CAS as discourse, and even more specifically as "educational discourse." Three research questions are addressed: How can the account of Samoan culture presented by Mead in CAS be understood as discourse? How can her account of "early childhood education" be understood in relation to Freeman's account? Is Mead describing "permissive education" when describing patterns of early childhood education in Samoa? We argue that Mead produced an overlapping research discourse that has appealed to the wider public because of its cultural suppressed message aimed at the unconscious in culture. Mead's and Freeman's contradictory accounts of Samoan cultural patterns in relation to "early childhood education" can be explained by differences in the perspectives of the social and hierarchical positions of respectable elders and chiefs (Freeman) and of young girls who were caregivers of even younger children (Mead). Finally, we argue that "early childhood education" in Samoa at that time was clearly not permissive. Young Samoan girls internalized the symbolic Law (Lacan) and were therefore able to act in an authoritative way as caregivers. In the field of education nearly a century later, Mead's descriptions of "early childhood education" in Samoa still provide an intricate case study. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2020 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1251167 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Understanding the Discourse of Early Childhood Education in 'Coming of Age in Samoa' – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Krek%2C+Janez%22">Krek, Janez</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5827-7609">0000-0001-5827-7609</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22SAGE+Open%22"><i>SAGE Open</i></searchLink>. Jan-Mar 2020 10(1). – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 10 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2020 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnography%22">Ethnography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pacific+Islanders%22">Pacific Islanders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Culture%22">Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Differences%22">Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Females%22">Females</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anthropology%22">Anthropology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Maturity+%28Individuals%29%22">Maturity (Individuals)</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Samoa%22">Samoa</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1177/2158244020902083 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 2158-2440 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The apparently readily comprehensible descriptive discourse in Margaret Mead's famous ethnographic study "Coming of Age in Samoa" (1928) (CAS) presents a discursive challenge that is greater than one might expect from a book that has gained a wide readership. Through theoretical analysis, and in relation to the notorious Mead/Freeman controversy, we seek to contribute to understanding CAS as discourse, and even more specifically as "educational discourse." Three research questions are addressed: How can the account of Samoan culture presented by Mead in CAS be understood as discourse? How can her account of "early childhood education" be understood in relation to Freeman's account? Is Mead describing "permissive education" when describing patterns of early childhood education in Samoa? We argue that Mead produced an overlapping research discourse that has appealed to the wider public because of its cultural suppressed message aimed at the unconscious in culture. Mead's and Freeman's contradictory accounts of Samoan cultural patterns in relation to "early childhood education" can be explained by differences in the perspectives of the social and hierarchical positions of respectable elders and chiefs (Freeman) and of young girls who were caregivers of even younger children (Mead). Finally, we argue that "early childhood education" in Samoa at that time was clearly not permissive. Young Samoan girls internalized the symbolic Law (Lacan) and were therefore able to act in an authoritative way as caregivers. In the field of education nearly a century later, Mead's descriptions of "early childhood education" in Samoa still provide an intricate case study. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2020 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1251167 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1251167 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1177/2158244020902083 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 10 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Ethnography Type: general – SubjectFull: Pacific Islanders Type: general – SubjectFull: Culture Type: general – SubjectFull: Differences Type: general – SubjectFull: Females Type: general – SubjectFull: Anthropology Type: general – SubjectFull: Maturity (Individuals) Type: general – SubjectFull: Samoa Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Understanding the Discourse of Early Childhood Education in 'Coming of Age in Samoa' Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Krek, Janez IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2020 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 2158-2440 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 10 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: SAGE Open Type: main |
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