"She emphatically criticized the neurosis-inducing nuclear family, including the stress of Christian monogamy, and used her Samoan material to demonstrate an alternative to premarital chastity." (Hiram Caton, "The Mead/Freeman Controversy is Over: A Retrospect", Journal of Youth and Adolescence 29, 5 (Oct 2000)) The book also put forward the thesis that Samoan teenagers (with greater sexual permissiveness) suffered less psychological stress than American teenagers (with stricter sexual mores). In contrast, American youth are taught to compete against each other, leaving them isolated within their own cliques. As a result, their community is much more tightly knit than that of other cultures, and the individuals themselves are more emotionally secure. Mead's findings seemed to show that youth in Samoa are taught to grow together and strengthen the confidence of each other. Coming of Age in Samoa, first published in 1928, is a book by Margaret Mead based upon youth in Samoa and lightly relating to youth in America.
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