The Study of Culture At a Distance

<p> The United States on the eve of the Second World War was still a society largely isolated from the world. Facing enemies with unfamiliar cultural traditions the U.S. government turned to anthropologists for insight. The result was a research effort that continued long after the war aimed in the words of Margaret Mead at analyzing the cultural regularities in the characters of individuals who are members of societies that are inaccessible to direct observation. In 1953 Margaret Mead and Rhoda Métraux produced <i>The Study of Culture at a Distance</i> a compilation of research from this period. This remarkable work long unavailable presents a rich and complex methodology for the study of cultures through literature film informant interviews focus groups and projective techniques. The book also provides fascinating insights into such diverse cultures as China Thailand Italy Syria France Germany Russia Romania and Great Britain and includes some highly original analysis such as that of the Soviet style of chess a study of Jean Cocteau's classic film <i>La Belle et la Bête</i> and the cultural interpretations of Rorschach tests administered to Chinese subjects.</p>