Book Reading #9 - Coming of Age in Samoa

Chapter 3

Reference Info:
Coming of Age in Samoa

Summary:
This chapter dealt with the upbringing of children and the transcendence into adulthood for Samoans. The chapter discusses the big event that goes on at birth for high ranking children. Once the child is born, everyday life continues. The child is then mostly brought up by another child, usually 6 to 7 years of age. That older child is in charge of making sure the child doesn't do anything it is supposed, including crying. Boys help bring up children too, although they are usually relive of this duty in order to go help the older boys and learn to catch fish. This is how they learn the skill and grow into adulthood. Females continue to raise a child into their teens. This is when they are sometimes relieved of this duty, for the child they were raising is now raising another. The girls then go on to learn a skill or trait. They must learn in order to be competent and knowledgeable. This will help result in marriage.

Discussion:
It is crazy to see that children get given such great responsibility from such an early age. They become nurses and sitters to the babies. This clearly looks like a patriarchal society in which the men do most of the work while the women to to the house and children.