The Greeks And Infantile Sexuality

[Khandro]

I just happen to be reading a backdated copy of the TLS (May 23 2014) and a review of a book entitled 'Return From The Natives', which describes how as America entered WWII, anthropologist Margaret Mead and her team were asked to provide the U.S. Government with an outline of the social characteristics of the country's 'allies and enemies'.
Their findings of the Greeks were; "Our basic finding was that there were just two parties in Greece: the people who were against the government and the people who were against the people who were against the government," The striking hostility that Greeks apparently felt for authority was due to "a fantastic fear of castration, based on punishments and threats, chiefly made by the mother, for infantile sexuality."
Could this have any bearing on the present political situation?

[Peter Pedant]

On a serious note - Margt Mead was a protogee of this fella
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Boas

and SHE wrote nd became famous about sex in pacific societies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Mead

so I think the answer is 'no'

[jomifl]

The current greek problems have been brought about by spending too much which is a female characteristic, so I cannot see that castration has any bearing on the matter. The relevance of ouzo is a different matter.

[Khandro]

P.P. Thank you, someone I confess I have never heard of, fascinating. I particularly like the photo: 'Hamat's out of secret room'. Will read it in full tomorrow.
jomifl; Ouzo I can reluctantly accept, but retsina never, that alone has a castrating effect. More research required into the Greek diet.

[SirOracle]

Off topic Khandro but regarding the health of the people in Crete,where the incidence of heart and cancer is extremely low.

Experts have studied this phenomena and have come to the conclusion that it must be the diet,which is broadly the same as any southern Mediterranean country. The only difference being the Cretan's consumption of olive oil,which is somewhere over six times that of anywhere else .

Since I read this I have vastly increased my personal consumption of olive oil. !!

[Khandro]

SirOracle; Yes the olive oil is good on Crete, but that is more than can be said for the wine, which I categorise as 'only to be drunk in an emergency'.

When looking at the diet of Mediterraneans, I think it is important to look not only what they eat, but also what they don't, cow's milk for example; dreadful stuff!

[jourdain2]

Margaret Mead was very in vogue when I was training as a teacher. I remember that she was later exposed as some sort of fraud, having twisted data to suit theories. Since I thought she was a bit barmy (I was opposed by the earnest acolytes) I remember feeling rather pleased about that!