Rhoda Métraux facts for kids

Rhoda Bubendy Métraux (born October 18, 1914, in New York City; died November 26, 2003, in Barton, Vermont) was an important anthropologist. Anthropologists are scientists who study human cultures and societies. Rhoda Métraux was especially interested in "cross-cultural studies," which means comparing different cultures around the world.

She worked with Alfred Métraux to study Haitian voodoo, a religion practiced in Haiti. She also spent a lot of time studying the Iatmul people who live along the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. She visited their village, Tambunum, three times for many months, focusing on their music.

Rhoda Métraux also did fieldwork in other countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Montserrat in the West Indies. She studied at Yale University for her advanced degree, learning from a famous anthropologist named Bronisław Malinowski. During World War II, she even led a special section for the US government that studied how German people felt about the war.

Rhoda Métraux was also a close friend and professional partner of another famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead (1901–1978). They worked together for many years, writing books and articles about important topics from the 1950s to the late 1970s. They wrote many articles for Redbook magazine, often under Margaret Mead's name. These articles later became books, like A Way of Seeing. Even though Margaret Mead was more famous, Rhoda Métraux was a key part of their team, often helping to edit their publications. They shared homes in New York City for many years.

Rhoda Métraux's important papers and notes are kept safe at the Library of Congress, where people can study her work.

Key Studies and Discoveries

Rhoda Métraux spent her life exploring how different cultures work. She was very good at understanding people's behaviors and beliefs. Her studies helped us learn more about how societies are organized and how people interact.

Understanding Cultures from Afar

One of her special skills was studying cultures even when she couldn't be there in person. She helped develop ways to understand societies by looking at their stories, art, and other information. This was very useful for studying large groups of people.

Exploring Family Life and Childhood

Rhoda Métraux also looked closely at families and how children were raised in different cultures. She wrote about how German children were cared for and what stories they read. This helped people understand how culture shapes a child's early life.

Music and Society in Papua New Guinea

Her work with the Iatmul people in Tambunum village was very important. She spent months learning about their music. She discovered how music was a big part of their daily lives and traditions. Her research showed how music connects to a community's history and social rules.

Selected Works

Rhoda Métraux wrote many books and articles during her career. Here are a few examples of the kinds of topics she explored:

• She wrote about how people behave in different societies, like her studies on Haiti.
• She helped edit books that taught others how to study cultures from a distance.
• She co-wrote books about French culture and how people in France lived.
• She also wrote about how people's behavior can be normal or different in a community, based on her studies in Montserrat.