American Women — Anthropology and societal role

  • The New woman / introduced by George Frankenstein.

    A panel discussion on the subject of “the new woman,” with Stephanie Mills of Planned Parenthood, Mimi Kaprolat of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Patricia “Pat” Maginnis of the Association to Repeal Aborton Laws, and Alvin Duskin, San Francisco manufacturer of women’s clothing. The evening was moderated by Eugene Schoenfeld, otherwise known in his…

  • To be or not to be : the meaning of maternity / Dorothy Lee (Episode 5 of 15)

    Dorothy D. Lee, Ph.D., Visiting Professor in Psychology at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, delivers a talk on the psychological pressures for women to become mothers at The Challenge to Women: The Biological Avalanche conference held in San Francisco on January 23, 1965. She defines maternity as a relationship, describes the two ends of motherhood –…

  • Women’s expectations : mirage or reality? / Eve Merriam (Episode 1 of 15)

    Poet Eve Merriam (1916-1992) talks about birth control, education, and the role of women in society in this keynote speech, which begins KPFA’s presentation of the University of California Medical Center’s Conference held in San Francisco this year. Eve Merriam is the author of After Nora slammed the door, which is an analysis of American…

  • American marriage mores / Margaret Mead.

    Anthropologist Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) analyzes America’s values and norms governing marriage. Mead first discusses marriage customs in New Guinea, where she has performed extensive anthropological research. She then talks about the role of the family in America after WWII, and examines the evolution of courtship patterns, religious affiliations and…

  • Feminists conversations / Jane Lazarre and Rayna Reiter ; interviewed by Nanette Rainone.

    Nanette Rainone interviews two women authors about their experiences, women’s roles and the Women’s movement. They are Jane Lazarre, author of “The Mother Knot” (McGraw Hill), a personal account of pregnancy and childrearing; and Rayna Reiter, editor of “Toward an Anthropology of Women.”

  • Dr. Margaret Mead interviewed by Anne Fremantle (Episode 2)

    Anne Fremantle interviews anthropologist Dr. Margaret Mead (1901 – 1978). Fremantle introduces herself and describes P.E.N. which exists to provide friendship and freedom to writers, poets and artists. She then introduces Dr. Mead, who discusses how different cultures react to death and how life and death are fundamental mysteries to many peoples. Dr. Mead also…

  • The rite of football / Dr. William Arens ; interviewed by Barbara Londin.

    State University of New York Stony Brook Professor Dr. William Arens talks about his “Natural History” magazine article called “The Rite of Football,” an anthropological piece in which U.S. football and its followers are seen to share characteristics with primitive religions: violence, sexual exhibitionism, submersion of the individual to the mob. He describes the professional…

  • Women of the Amazon / Janet Siskind ; interviewed by Viv Sutherland.

    Viv Sutherland interviews Professor Janet Siskind of Rutgers University’s Anthropology Department about her field work in the Amazon rainforest and her book “To Hunt in the Morning.”

  • The fairer sex : portraits of five women / produced by Marie Blazek

    This is an intimate set of interviews with five women whose lives are both typical and unique; unique portraits of women outside of traditional gender roles. Subjects include a domestic worker, a Chicana who wanted to be a dancer, an elderly executive into Zen, and a teenage “biker chick” (motorcyclist), and a lower class White…

  • Implications of the generation gap for personality / Margaret Mead.

    Anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901 – 1978) speaks on the implications of the generation gap for personality development at the New School for Social Research in New York City on February 20, 1969. She explains that generation gaps exist across all cultures, describes inter-generational relationships in Pacific Island cultures, and the growing alienation between younger and…