Flapper of the South Seas
A young anthropologist named Marget Mead journeyed to American Samoa in 1925 and claimed she found a culture where teenagers were sexually free. Fame and controversy followed.
SAPIENS: A Podcast for Everything Human · SAPIENS
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Show Notes
In 1925, Margaret Mead set sail for American Samoa. What she claimed she found there—teenagers free to explore and express their sexuality—instantly captivated her audience in the U.S. Her book became a bestseller, and Mead skyrocketed to fame.
But what were her actual methods and motivations? We trace Mead’s legendary nine-month journey in the South Pacific.
Season 6 of the SAPIENS podcast was co-produced by PRX and SAPIENS, and made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.