Margaret Mead was an anthropologist who studied the customs and cultures of people all over the world. At the age of 23, Mead first sailed for Samoa in the South Seas. She especially wanted to learn about the adolescents, or teenagers, in this part of the world. For nine months, Mead lived among the Samoan people. They helped her build a house without walls, so she could observe their daily lives. Dr. Mead watched the way they reared their children. She listened and took notes without imposing the own views. So the Samoans trusted her and respected her work.