4-1 Discussion: Social Science Developments
A major development that occurred in the anthropology perspective of the social sciences that affect
how my advertisements might be studied is the contribution of Margaret Mead in her reevaluation of
gender roles in which ritual and tradition were championed concurrently.
Mead's reevaluation of gender roles while advocating for ritual and tradition simultaneously was one of
her most notable achievements especially for American women. Mead lamented the loss of the
extended family network and condemned the isolation that modern suburban women face in her
writings regarding the future of the American family. Mead envisioned a society in which the distinctive
contributions and skills of both women and men were of equivalent value. Additionally, while still
valuing domestic and maternal roles, opportunities to make contributions outside of the conventional
domestic realm would be available to women. The development of national character studies in addition
to her seven Oceanic cultures fieldwork, and her use of film innovations were among the numerous
