While the magazine has closed, its living archive endures—open to all and preserving the many ideas, voices, and discoveries that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human.
Anthropologist Derek Freeman became Margaret Mead’s biggest critic, trying to undo her research in American Samoa and her reputation as…
We Need to Tell Our Own StoriesIn the controversies swirling around Margaret Mead’s work in American Samoa, one set of voices has too often been left…
Flapper of the South SeasA young anthropologist named Margaret Mead journeyed to American Samoa in 1925 and claimed she found a culture where teenagers…
Coming of Age … TodayDoes the transition from childhood to adulthood have to be so difficult? This question sent famed anthropologist Margaret Mead to…
How Eugenics Shaped the U.S. Prenatal Care SystemBlack women in the U.S. are far more likely to die from complications related to pregnancy and birth than White…
The Urgency of Envisioning a World Without PoliceAn anthropologist working in Baltimore argues that safety for Black communities requires an end to policing. That also means taking…
Excavating a 19th-Century Detroit SaloonA filmmaker highlights the work of urban archaeologists who are excavating the site of a woman-owned business that opened in…
Why I Ask My Students to Swear in ClassAn anthropologist uses explicit insults to get students thinking about gender and power in everyday language. Plus, a brief explainer…
What It Means to be Human in an AsylumA sociocultural anthropologist from Pakistan speaks to how women in asylums in a patriarchal culture are in a battle between…
Two Myths Fueling the Conservative Right’s Dangerous TransphobiaAn anthropologist attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)—ground zero for the current onslaught of anti-trans rhetoric and legislation in…
