Final answer:
Margaret Mead's research in New Guinea revealed diverse gender roles among the Arapesh, the Mundugumor, and the Tchambuli cultures, and a more liberal attitude towards sexuality in Samoan society compared to the United States. Her seminal works, including 'Sex and Temperament' and 'Coming of Age in Samoa,' provided a new understanding of the cultural context of gender and sexuality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Margaret Mead's influential research in New Guinea led to significant insights into gender roles and sexuality in different cultures. In her 1935 book Sex and Temperament, Mead discussed her findings among three distinct cultural groups: the Arapesh, the Mundugumor, and the Tchambuli (or Chambri). Among the Arapesh, both men and women were expected to be gentle and cooperative, showing no significant temperamental differences. In stark contrast, the Mundugumor society expected both genders to be competitive and aggressive. The Tchambuli culture, however, showcased a reversal of typical Western gender norms, with men being perceived as neurotic and superficial, while women were seen as relaxed, authoritative, and powerful.
In her earlier work, Coming of Age in Samoa, Mead observed the sexual life stages and noted that Samoan adolescents experienced a period of sexual exploration and freedom, which she described as a golden age. This contrasted sharply with the more repressed and disciplined attitudes towards sexuality in the United States. Her use of visual media, like in the film Trance and Dance in Bali, also showcased her pioneering efforts in visual anthropology.
While Mead's research was initially met with skepticism and criticism, subsequent investigations and fieldwork by other anthropologists have largely supported her primary conclusions regarding the cultural construction of gender roles and the variability of sexual norms across societies.