Human Nature and the Power of Culture Library Hosts Margaret Mead Symposium

摘要

Mary Catherine Bateson and William Beeman provided a summary of the first day of the symposium. Ms. Bateson observed that virtually every speaker had referred to nations as actors with attitudes, styles and trends. While the concepts of national character are problematic, she said they are nonetheless employed when discussing globalization. However, concepts of nations have changed. They are no longer almost universally described as internally harmonious, as Mead depicted Samoa. Mr. Beeman looked at the themes that were discussed, such as stereotypes and uniformity vs. diversity. He said Mead opposed the kind of folk psychology that resulted in gross generalizations. She instead depended on professionals who knew how to find true regularities in a situation. Mead was looking at what causes change as a natural extension of cultural patterns such as alterations in demographics. It is possible to have change and stability at the same time, he asserted. He proclaimed that national character is not quite dead, and we are all groping with a world culture by looking at causes of conflict and the human desire for protection of one's own group.