The Invisible Mentor » Margaret Mead

Wise Women: Jane Jacobs, Urban Theorist and Writer

Avil Beckford — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:30:15 +0000

When I think of Jane Jacobs, US Anthropologist, Margaret Mead’s famous quotation comes to mind. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Jane Jacobs had no formal training in urban planning and design, yet she wrote a seminal book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, which is still referred to five decades later. She opposed plans for an expressway to run through her neighbourhood in New York City and others rallied with her resulting in the Mayor nixing the plans. Jacobs demonstrates that a small group of committed people can change the world.

Name: Jane Jacobs

Birth Date: May 1916 – April 2006

Job Functions: Urban Theorist/Visionary, Writer, and Activist

Fields: Urban Planning

Known For: Stopping the expansion of the Spadina Expressway in Toronto and the Proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway in New York City

After Jacobs graduated from high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she worked a year as an unpaid reporter for Scranton Tribune where she got a firsthand look at the problems of working-class districts. After that, she spent six months at a community centre for the Presbyterian home missions that her aunt ran in the mountains of North Carolina. In 1934, Jacobs left for New York City where her older sister was living, and eventually settled in Greenwich Village. While living in New York City, Jacobs initially worked in stenographic and secretarial jobs, and later as a freelance writer contributing articles to several New York publications. She didn’t limit herself to the types of articles she wrote because she was a quick study and would focus on any subject matter she needed to at the time.

During that time, Jacobs was unemployed a lot so she often took the subway and got off at random stops and walked around investigating the neighbourhoods and industrial districts, while at the same time seeking employment. Jane Jacobs learned about the city by wandering around. She was an excellent observer.

In April 1944, while she was a feature writer for the Office of War Information, Jacobs and her two roommates threw a party. One of the party guests was the architect Robert Hyde Jacobs Jr., who soon after became her husband. They had three children together – two boys and a girl.

In 1952, Jacobs took a job as associate editor at Architectural Forum. With the help and support of her husband she could master the knowledge she required to do her job well. In the role of associate editor, Jacobs had to analyze the problems of cities such as New York, Washington DC, Baltimore, San Francisco and Chicago, and became an ardent critic of tearing down old neighbourhoods to accommodate high-rise towers. The 1950s was also a time of urban renewal, and urban planners and developers were destroying the vitality of cities by “cleaning them up.” They levelled buildings in neighbourhoods and replaced them with high rises in park-like settings, thinking that they could get rid of social problems by doing so.

Jacobs wrote about these issues in her articles because she wanted to change the attitudes. She advocated for mixed-use buildings and proposed combining both residential and commercial needs in the same neighbourhood. Jacobs delved deeper into urban planning and design and contributed an article to Fortune magazine for its “The Exploding Metropolis” series. Her husband, and William H. Whyte, the editor of Fortune suggested that she write a book to capture her innovative ideas and thoughts on healthy and unhealthy cities, and The Death and Life of American Cities came into being in 1961. This book turned out to be Jacob’s most influential.

Jane Jacobs on her book “Dark Age Ahead”

If you cannot view this YouTube video please click here.

David versus Goliath

In 1962, urban planner and multimillionaire Robert Moses proposed a 10-lane superhighway slated to be called the Lower Manhattan Expressway which would run through SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown and the Lower East Side. Jacobs chaired the Joint Committee to Stop the Lower Manhattan Expressway. Their efforts paid off and New York Mayor John Lindsay killed the plan.
Jacobs first came head-to-head with Moses in 1956 when he wanted to continue Fifth Avenue (in Manhattan) as a four-lane expressway through Washington Square Park, her neighbourhood park.
She also opposed Robert Moses’ plan to build a parking lot in Central Park.

Jacobs spoke out against Moses, and led others to oppose his plans. David prevailed over Goliath.

Jane Jacobs on the similarities between economies and nature

If you cannot view this video click here.

In the late 1960s, Jacobs opposed the Vietnam War and got arrested at one of the antiwar demonstration rallies. Her sons were at the age where they could be drafted so her husband encouraged her to move the family to Toronto in 1968, fearing that their sons would be arrested for refusing the draft. Within months of her arrival in Toronto, Jacobs was involved in opposing the Spadina Expressway which was slated to run through the City’s Chinatown, and they were successful in their efforts. She also influenced the regeneration of the St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto.

Jacobs felt at home in Toronto because the city represented many of her ideas and principles about what made healthy cities. Jacobs continued to get involved in issues she was interested in and wrote until she died. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 1996 for her writings.

Steps to Success

Jacobs was very curious and learned how things worked.
Learned about urban planning and design by walking and wandering around neighbourhoods.
Quickly acquired the knowledge necessary for any topic she had to write about.
Overturned current thinking in urban planning and design.
Jacobs’ husband subscribed to Architectural Forum, and she became a regular reader. She decided that she wanted to work for them, so she applied and was given a trial assignment and then the associate editor position.
Knew how to garner support for her cause – rallied high profile people like Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Mead and the New Yorker architectural critic Lewis Mumford.

Why Jane Jacobs’ Contribution Matters

Jane Jacobs did not have much formal education – she attended Columbia for two years in the School of General Studies taking whatever courses caught her fancy. Jacobs didn’t have a college degree like urban planners and architects, but she was vocal about what she believed in and others listened to her. She created a body of work in the form of articles and books that others refer to.

Lessons from Jane Jacobs

You do not need formal education to leave behind a legacy.
One person can make a difference.
If you don’t ask you don’t get. Jacobs liked reading Architectural Forum and wanted to work for them, so she applied for a job and got it.

Books by Jane Jacobs

The Death and Life of Great American Cities (50th Anniversary Edition) (Modern Library) (1961)

The Economy of Cities (1969)

Cities and the Wealth of Nations (1984)

Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics (1992)

The Nature of Economies (2000)

Dark Age Ahead (2004)

Works Cited/Referenced

Encyclopedia of World Biography

International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2^nd Edition

American Decades Primary Sources, 1960 -1969

American Women Writers

The Writers Directory 2008

Scribner Encyclopedia of America Lives

Ideas That Matter: The Worlds of Jane Jacobs, edited by Max Allen

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YouTube Credits: Jane Jacobs on the similarities between economies and nature, Jane Jacobs on her book “Dark Age Ahead”AllanGregg;

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Mentor Yourself With Patty DeDominic Part Two

Avil Beckford — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:30:13 +0000

Interviewee Name: Patty DeDominic

Company Name: DeDominic & Associates

Website: http://dedominic.com

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I’m a businesswoman and an entrepreneur. Now I make my living as a professional coach and I guide high achieving professionals and organizations in making major transitions for themselves and their organizations.

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

It is a challenge. I have three sons and five grandchildren and I try to spend time with them, talk to them online, and in person. Our grandson lives with us right now, he’s a college sophomore and he’s on summer vacation so we have the opportunity to make some positive impacts in our grandson’s life and we love that. My three sons are grown now but I try to stay in touch with them. For a number of years until 2006 my oldest son worked with me in my company and it was really wonderful to watch him grow. He eventually became president of one of my companies. I loved working with him until we sold our organization in 2006.

It does take a lot to juggle personal relationships and family life. I think communication and sharing your dreams and sharing your values with a person in your life – in my case would that be my mate – takes work and effort.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Be the change you wish to see, and that was one of my wonderful Gandhi quote.
A Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
The third one would be to follow your passions. Stay in your genius zone you will be more effective.
Don’t neglect your fitness because it’s important. Not carrying around an extra 50 pounds is going to make a difference in your energy level and your overall self-esteem, at least it did for me.
Always surround yourself with people who are extraordinary. I try to do that in the people I have as clients, employees, business colleagues and I look for people who are passionate, with high personal integrity, and high moral character, who want to do something that’s meaningful for themselves and for their communities. That kind of theme runs through my network, and I believe that my network and other people’s network is a very powerful tool to help you have a much better life. It makes living so wonderful to be able to share it with other extraordinary people who can help each other.

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time how do you spend it?

I love walking in the hills with my dogs and sometimes with my friends and clients. I love taking hikes. It’s a great way to stay fit and to enjoy sunshine and to think. For me it is better than a golf game.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

I get great ideas from my friends. I read and I try to learn a lot from other successful people.

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

There are two. One is a beautiful quote by a Chinese philosopher, Lao-tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles must begin beneath one’s feet.” I realized that when I needed to make changes in my life I needed to start where I was. It doesn’t do any good to wish for a miracle to happen. It would be great to win the lottery, but I’m not going to hold my breath until that happens so I must start where I am. The other quote is one that I put in my own book, How I Lost It, “Every day I make time to enjoy the beauty of a fit lifestyle with friends, animals and nature.” And I love that quote because it’s mine and an affirmation for a good life.

Note from Avil: the older translation of the Lao-tzu quote, and the more accurate one is above, but the more popular one is, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Avil Beckford: In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

By being able to work and do the things you want to do with great people, and to be able to make a difference for yourself and others.

Avil Beckford: In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

The formula for success includes thinking about what you want to accomplish, and believing that you can accomplish it, so it’s conceive, believe and receive and that’s getting help from other people. Receiving success is doing it and making it happen.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

There were many: I had to study, I had mentors, I had to believe that I could do it, I had to experiment and practice, make mistakes and learn. So those are the steps, it’s conceive, believe, receive, and achieve. Being grateful is an important part of being successful. I think you must be grateful for the things you have that you have been given.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

If you are starting out as an entrepreneur, I would say to surround yourself with extraordinary people, get crystal clear about what your goals and objectives are then work hard to accomplish it. It’s trial and error. It’s progress and not perfection, and always keep learning.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Gandhi because I’d like to know more about how he visualized the world.
Margaret Thatcher because I always admired what she did for the world as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
I’d like to meet John Kennedy because I think he was a role model for a lot of people in many ways and his vision to put man on the moon was an extraordinary, brave, and bold accomplishment.
I would like to meet Jesus Christ and I would like to know if there is anything else I should be doing in my life, and see if he had any additional guidance for me. I try to talk to him frequently, but right now it’s sort of a one-way conversation.
I’d like to meet Lady Gaga. I think her audacity is just amazing and I think she and some other contemporary female recording artists are making business history and I would just love to learn a little bit more about what her business goals and strategies are.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?

Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. My father had me read it as a child and I learned a lot from it and I think my interpersonal skills and my ability to relate to other people were guided by Dale Carnegie’s philosophy about learning about other people, trying to help others with their objectives, and that’s how you get your own objectives met as well.

Avil Beckford: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why? Summarize the book in two sentences.

Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants. It’s just a great book, I just finished reading it.
Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink: I really love what he has to say.
Dan Pink’s Free Agent Nation: It was a really interesting discussion about what’s changing in the job market today.
Two of my own books: How I Lost It (99pounds.com) and Make it Real (makeitrealsystems.com) which just came out. I would like to read those books, make them better, then when I get off the deserted island I’d like to share them with the world.

Avil Beckford: What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?

Midnight in Paris the new Woody Allen movie is just great and the music CD would be anything by Annie Lennox.

If you cannot view Midnight in Paris YouTube movies trailer please click here.

If you cannot view the Annie Lennox YouTube video please click here.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Every day! Being able to learn new things and interacting with great people.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

By surrounding myself with great people, reading, being with my animals and with people I love.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

The end of wars.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

I enjoy the beauty and a fit lifestyle with friends, animal and nature.

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The Invisible Mentor Interviews Traci Wells (She Died for Four Minutes) Part Two

Avil Beckford — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:30:42 +0000

Interviewee Name: Traci Wells

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Traci Wells: Professionally I worked at Rogers for 15 years and was responsible for the management and development curriculum, which I loved. In the last two years, I’ve had a pretty massive life changing event which led me to make some changes in my professional and personal life. I suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest, my heart basically stopped and I was without a heart beat for almost four minutes. I was saved that day because of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). The interesting thing about this event is there were no signs or symptoms. I had no problems with my health, or with my heart. Even after the event, I’m very fortunate there is no damage to my heart. I was in the hospital for 10 days and they tested everything they could. I’m one of those cases where they basically told me we’ll never know why it happened.

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Traci Wells: The next job I get is going to have to fit into my life versus my life fitting into the job. I have a whole different perspective on the person that I’m working with. I don’t think I’d be as patient with a bad leader as I used to be. I always try to help and mentor and coach, but sometimes people just don’t change. I think I stayed with a lot of bad leaders out of fear. I haven’t talked much about fear and I’d say that’s been one of my biggest learnings is that fear is so debilitating, and in reality once you face that fear it’s never as bad as you thought it would be.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Traci Wells:

The lesson with fear is that we create the fear to be much bigger than what it is in reality. When you face it, it’s not as bad as you thought it was.
Life can be gone in an instant, you have to make the most of it. It sounds so cliché but it goes back to the “don’t wait.” Don’t wait to live the life that you’re meant to.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I was a self-sufficient, independent, can-do-it-all myself kind of person and I realized that I don’t have to do with all myself, and it isn’t a sign of weakness to ask for help. I’ve learned this over the last few years that if you ask people to describe me they would say that I have no problem being vulnerable, and as a result of that, I build extremely tight relationships with people because when you’re willing to show your flaws and make mistakes people see you as a real person. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Some of us do not value our health until there is a reason to look at it. I did not value my health until there was a risk to it and as I sit here at 42, if I was doing what I’ve been doing for the past year I probably would not have had a cardiac arrest. Even though the doctors cannot tell me why it happened, you have to look at the way you have been living your life and when people look at the list of things that’s important to them, what they value most, they always put family first. I say you have to put your health first or else you won’t be there for your family if your health isn’t strong.

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Traci Wells: I love volunteering now even though that may not be down time in some people’s eyes. Giving back, whether it be to the Heart and Stroke Foundation because of my experience, or something in my community that I believe in. There is a great quote that I love for, it basically is “Service is the rent we pay for our time on this Earth,” and I get as much out of that as the people that I’m giving it to so that’s a big one.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Traci Wells: A few, sometimes the process is as simple as turning on my computer, putting some music on and looking at the view of the Don Valley and just giving myself some time to think. That’s a process. I don’t think we give ourselves enough time to think, so I make time for that. I have some great people in my life and we feed off each other for great ideas. I had a friend here yesterday, we are working on a cool new Internet idea, and for him and I, the great ideas just come from taking one idea and expanding on it and by the end we get to this really great place. Collaboration is a really important step

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Traci Wells: I really like “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has,” by Margaret Mead, but I am in a service mode so let’s go with “Service is the rent we pay for our time on this Earth.”

Avil Beckford: How do you define success?

Traci Wells: Success is individual and personal. Success and what is valuable to me may be very different from what matters to you. I define success as being proud of the work that I’m doing, knowing that I’m making a contribution.

Avil Beckford: In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Traci Wells: The formula for success definitely has to be giving yourself enough worth as you give to others. I’m the kind of person who would do anything for everyone, and that’s a lovely quality, but it went to the point where I never did anything for myself. I want people to recognize that they are as important as the people that they’re doing the work for. Think about the mother who puts her children first, and that’s great, I don’t have children but I can understand why you would do that, but I don’t think we think about ourselves enough, especially as women.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Traci Wells: I took some risks definitely. I went back to school as many times as I could because I think continuous learning especially in my field is a requirement. Learning and development can be a very typical process, what made me successful was going outside of the normal process and said, “we know that some of those things work, but what if you tried this?” Maybe it goes back to taking risks and not being afraid to try something different.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Traci Wells: Based on my perspective now, starting out, if you’re right out of university jumping into the new job you’re thinking you have to be here today 24/7 to make an impact, and what I realized is it’s not how much time you spend doing something, it’s definitely the quality and the impact. Make sure that you develop a structure for yourself that doesn’t create your career that’s your only focus, even if that’s for only 10 years. There can be balance all the way through.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Traci Wells: I used to ask this question in class, that’s a great icebreaker for people, and before I met my father, I would say my father.

I would want to meet Martin Luther King and I would say thank you for having the courage to make change.
And I’d like to meet Oprah Winfrey and say something very similar. But she also helped me to see my value, so I’d say, “Thank you for making me see my own value and potential.”
I’ve always had this fascination with Janis Joplin, and I think what I would ask her is why she didn’t value her life enough.
I like to meet Gandhi and I’d ask him how he maintained his strength in living his life at the time.
I love to meet the Dalai Lama and let him share his learnings with me around fear and courage because he has an awful lot of courage and I’m curious about how he deals with the fear.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?

Traci Wells: This is funny! Do you know The Princess Bride? They actually made a movie about it. But the book was a read to me when I was in public school, and my teacher was a huge fan of the book and every day I would look forward to hearing the next chapter. And why it was so powerful, as a young child, I wasn’t someone who lived in fantasy. I was an adult much sooner than I should have been, and as a result, I couldn’t see fantasy, I didn’t enjoy it. And the Princess Bride took me to a whole different place of fantasy and after I read that book I started writing myself. It’s not a business book or anything like that but allowed me to see fantasy, and that it can be fun, and a place to be creative in.

Avil Beckford: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why? Summarize the book in two sentences.

Traci Wells:

The Princess Bride for what I just said.
She’s Come Undone and the reason why I like that one is it was the first book that spoke to how I really felt about life and did not apologize for it.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People fundamentally changed the way I look at life. That book allowed me to meet my father, it opened my mind enough to want to find out who he was.
Good to Great from a business perspective, and it was the first time I felt at least in my business environment, that people understood the value of focusing on the people, and not just on the process. I thought that was a revolutionary business book.

Avil Beckford: What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?

Traci Wells: I love music so that’s really tough, but I have to say Bruce Springsteen because there’s something motivating in his music like the underdog can win, and it would help me to get off that deserted island. As for the movie it would have to be a The Way We Were because it’s my favourite movie of all time and I can watch it over and over again without getting bored of it.

If you cannot view this Bruce Springsteen YouTube video click here.

If you cannot view The Way We Were YouTube video please click here.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Traci Wells: Everything right now. The potential, the opportunities, the fact that I still have life, it excites me. I never considered death before this experience, and I wouldn’t say that it’s an area that I focus on now, but because of that life and death experience, life means a wondrous thing to me now. I have a whole new value for time.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Traci Wells: Providing service helps with that, wonderful friends and family, and music.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

Traci Wells: I’d wish that everybody could be educated. And I don’t mean higher learning education, but education that can solve all of our world’s problems. So I would actually ask the genie to give everyone some learning, some education that they can expand their worlds.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

Traci Wells: I’m happy when I’m making a contribution.

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The Invisible Mentor Week in Review

Avil Beckford — Sat, 14 May 2011 09:30:09 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Mondays at the Salon

Mentors have been around for centuries, but there are many different kinds of mentors. Mentors can also be invisible, that means that they are not aware that they are mentoring us. They are our role models.

The Mentor as Invisible.

Booked on Tuesdays

We reviewed Foundation’s Edge, Foundation and Earth and Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov, another three instalments in the seven Foundation novels. What would you do if you had the unique ability to make the correct decision even with incomplete information? Would you constantly take action?

A Look at Foundation’s Edge, Foundation and Earth and Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov.

Wisdom Wednesdays

We profiled anthropologist Margaret Mead, who brought anthropology to the people by writing a column in Redbook magazine and appearing frequently on talk radio.

Margaret Mead Was Known as the Grandmother of the World, Why?

Perspective Thursdays and Workshop Fridays

From conducting interviews over the years, one of the things I have learned is that we can learn from the experiences of others. This week we did something a little bit differently and that is we grouped the responses of several interviewees to the same questions. We know that we provide a lot of content, so we wanted you to compare and contrast the answers to the same questions. Here are The Ultimate Mentor One and The Ultimate Mentor Two.

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Wisdom Wednesdays: Margaret Mead Was Known as the Grandmother of the World, Why?

Avil Beckford — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:30:39 +0000

Name: Margaret Mead

Birth Date: December 1901 – November 1978

Job Functions: Anthropologist, Researcher, Professor, Curator, Author and Globetrotter

Fields: Anthropology

Known For: Studies of culture and personality, child socialization, gender, generational differences, cultural change, and applied anthropology.

Image via Wikipedia

Mentors: Ruth Benedict and Franz Boas

Most Famous Publications: Coming of Age in Samoa and Keep Your Powder Dry were national bestsellers.

Margaret Mead had a non-traditional upbringing. Both of her parents worked, her father, Edward Sherwood Mead was an economist at the Wharton School of Business and her mother, Emily Fogg Mead was a social scientist. By the time she was 11 years old, she had moved 60 times and consumed meals prepared by 107 cooks because her father was instrumental in establishing extension branches of the Wharton School across the state of Pennsylvania.

Her mother Emily, and her paternal grandmother, Martha Ramsey Mead a child psychologist, were very hands-on when it came to Margaret’s education at home. She was directed to “collect data for observation and recording – from the structure of leaves to the language patterns and personality differences of her younger siblings could be noted as data.” She observed how other children behaved and took notes on their behaviours. Though her father Edward played a less active role in her upbringing, his discussions with her about his work instilled in her an understanding of using case studies to generalize.

Before Mead became a teenager, she had already accompanied Emily on field trips where she was “engaged in sociological research among Italian immigrants.” From a young age, it was instilled in Mead the importance of not discriminating against others because of their race. She acquired a respect for human equality and differences. The instruction Margaret received from both her mother, grandmother and father allowed her to cultivate the skills she later relied on as an anthropologist.

In her senior year at college, Mead took a course in anthropology taught by Franz Boas. The course profoundly impacted her so much that she decided to become an anthropologist. After she completed her studies she went to study the life of adolescents among the Polynesian on a six-week field trip. She later moved to the island of Ta’u and remained there for nine months where she studied 68 Samoan girls ages eight to 20, with an emphasis on 25 of these females. Five years later she published her work in Coming of Age in Samoa, which became a national bestseller and catapulted her into worldwide fame.

Mead conducted many more field trips which she also published in book form. For her early research, she did not exercise scientific rigor, which she was criticized for after her death. Her third husband Gregory Bateson, who came from a family of natural scientists, changed that for her, and he enhanced Mead’s methodology and scientific rigor for conducting her research. And Bateson also learned from her more about the observation process.

Bateson and Mead did some innovative work when they used photography as a research tool. While they worked in Bali for two years, they took 38,000 photographs, 759 of which were selected for their book Balinese Character in 1942. The extensive use of film in their work allowed them to record and analyze even the smallest detail of behaviour which would escape the pen-and-paper ethnographer.

During Margaret Mead’s life, she wrote close to 30 books, edited another 12, conducted 24 field trips with major expeditions, gave at least a hundred speeches each year, contributed hundreds of articles, received 28 honorary degrees in humanities, science and law, received 40 distinguished awards for science and citizenships, was president of seven professional organizations, wrote a column for Redbook magazine (1961 – 1978), frequently appeared on talk shows and was one of the most sought after lecturers in the United States. Other body of works she left behind include films, records and tapes.

When Margaret Mead died, the media dubbed her the “grandmother of the world.”

Why Margaret Mead’s work was important

She was the first anthropologist to examine child-rearing practices and the role of women in cross-cultural perspective. She believed that social behaviour, including gender roles were determined by cultural forces and set out to prove it. And most important, she brought anthropology to the public by writing a column in a popular magazine and appearing on talk radio.

Events that shaped Margaret Mead’s life

Undoubtedly, having Emily Fogg Mead as a mother, and Martha Ramsey Mead as a grandmother helped to shaped Mead’s life because of the instruction they provided.
Mead’s training under Franz Boas at Columbia University prepared her for the work she did. Franz Boas who was the Dean of American Cultural Anthropology was willing to train women fieldworkers including Ruth Benedict, who became Mead’s lifelong confidante.

Controversial Ideas

Mead also had some very controversial ideas, three of which were:

Newlyweds should purchase divorce insurance.
An ideal society should consist of people who were homosexual in their youth, heterosexual in middle age, and homosexual again in later years.
Instead of the nuclear family, she advocated for “cluster” units comprised of older married couples, singles, and teenagers from other households.

A previous post written in 2009 Can a Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Make a Difference? Margaret Mead Thought So complements this one.

If you cannot view Coming of Age YouTube video please click here.

Further Reading

Can a Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Make a Difference? Margaret Mead Thought So

Margaret Mead By Jone Johnson Lewis, About.com Guide December 16, 2010

Sources Cited/Referenced

American National Biography

International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists

Women in World History

Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia

Dictionary of Women Worldwide

Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science

Encyclopedia of World Biography

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How to Effectively Use Google

Avil Beckford — Mon, 02 May 2011 09:30:22 +0000

At a recent Google for Journalists workshop, Andrew Swartz who holds the position of Global Communications and Public Affairs shared tips and resources to use Google more effectively when searching.

Limiting Your Search Results

Let’s say you are thinking of going on vacation to Turkey and want to learn more about the country, to eliminate turkey recipes from showing up in your search results, in the Google search box, type in Turkey –recipe*. The minus sign lets Google know that you are not interested in recipes and asterisk (*) is a command which covers recipe and recipes, which further limits your search.

If you would like the definition of a word, say for instance infographics, in the search box you’d type in define: infographics (That is, define colon space infographics).

You are writing a speech and know that there is a Margaret Mead quote that would add impact but you cannot remember it. In the search box, type in quotation: Margaret Mead and you will find several websites with Margaret Mead quotes. And if you know some of the words in the quote, for instance, “A small group of thoughtful people could change,” in the search box type in quotation: A small group of thoughtful people could change, and you get the full Margaret Mead quote.

If you want to search a specific website, for instance The Invisible Mentor, in the Google search box, type in site: theinvisiblementor.com. (For this one, if you already know the domain name, why not go there directly, but I thought I should tell you anyway).

Add a WOW to Your Communications Online

There is a YouTube video that would strengthen your blog post, but you’d like the video to start at a specific point such as 8 minutes and 29 seconds in the video. At the end of the link to the video add #t8m29s when you insert it in the post.

You can also add maps (http://maps.google.com), street views (http://www.google.com/streetview), historical geographic imagery, (http://earth.google.com) and public data in tables (http://www.google.com/fusiontables)

Trends and Research

If you are looking for topics to write about, Google’s trends and research tools may provide ideas.

Based on searches Google identifies trends as they occur http://www.google.com/trends. This is for the US only.

Google Insights for Search gives you the opportunity to look at search patterns and filter the results by region http://www.google.com/insights/search.

Other Quick Tips

If you need a calculator and have access to Google, use it as you would any calculator and you’ll see the results below the search box.
Google as currency converter: For example if you would like to know how $50 Canadian is in Euro, type in 50 CAD in Euro.
If you would like to know what the local weather is, type in weather in Toronto or whichever city you are interested in.
Google as unit converter: 50 liters in gallons or 100 kilometers in mile, whatever you’d like to convert.

At http://www.google.com, if you look at the top left hand side you’ll see a menu of options such as Images, Video and so on. If you click on more you will see recipes. If you were looking for a recipe you could search for it using Google and can restrict the results based on ingredients, calories and cooking time. Isn’t that nifty?

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Mentor Yourself With Michael McCleary, Live Unconditional Part Two

Avil Beckford — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:30:15 +0000

Your Invisible Mentor: Michael McCleary

Company: Live Unconditional

Website: http://www.mikemccleary.com/

We present part two of Michael McLeary’s interview today, and part two is as informative as part one. These interviewees are truly invisible mentors in every sense of the meaning. They are unique leaders who we can learn things from. What would happen if we combined the wisdom, wisdom and experiences of all the invisible mentors? What are your thoughts? Let’s read Michael’s interview and learn as much from him as we can.

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Michael McCleary: I tell extraordinary stories for a living. It’s the best career I’ve ever had. What do I mean by telling stories? Well I own a video production/new media/web company about 2 hours north of Detroit, MI. Recently, I also had the opportunity to finish my first feature length documentary, An Anything But Ordinary Journey, with my business partner Casey Turner in October of 2009. I spent over 4 years on the project, interviewing people across the US and Canada on the meaning of success. So whether it’s making films, or serving clients through our business, it’s all about sharing extraordinary stories with the world and that is extremely satisfying.

Avil Beckford: As an Invisible Mentor, what is one piece of advice that you would give to readers?

Michael McCleary: Find your passion and purpose. I believe we were all empowered with a gift to give to the world. I’d like to emphasize the words gift and give. When we give of ourselves and our talents freely to others, amazing things occur. This doesn’t mean what you always do is free, but find ways to give back. It not only makes you feel good but also those you affect. When you wrap the concept of giving around what it is you have a passion for, you find moments of joy that are truly amazing and almost unexplainable. If you don’t feel you have found a purpose or passion, begin that search now!

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Michael McCleary: Sometimes it’s hard but really my professional life is almost an extension of my personal and vice-versa. I love making connections and friends. If you are a client, I really do consider you a friend. It’s not what I can get from you but what can I give to you.

Avil Beckford: What’s a major regret that you’ve had in life?

Michael McCleary: Not always finishing what I’ve started. I love starting things, finishing a few times hasn’t always been the easiest. One of my resolutions this year is to go through and tie up any loose strings I have in my life.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Michael McCleary:

Find your Passion, you have a gift so find joy in using it.
Truly experience gratitude and be thankful for what you have been blessed with in your life.
Persevere even when it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Be willing to make a Change, even when it may be difficult.
Find your Faith, whether it be in God, friends or family; faith is the power that will keep you going.

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Michael McCleary: Down time, what’s down time? Actually, I’m a notorious web surfer. I love reading news. I’m also a Facebook addict. Yes I admit it, I enjoy social media! I also just really enjoy spending time with friends and family and long drives in the summer.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Michael McCleary: I generally don’t have a process, in fact when I force it, it’s harder for me. I’ve been blessed that ideas often just pop into my head out of thin air so I take the time to write them down before I forget. If I really need to find an idea or solution, I’ll actually go out and do something fun and non work related and those are the times I have the best insights.

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Michael McCleary: Only 1? I guess I’m going to break the rules and give you 2…
“Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is more people that have come alive.”
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Avil Beckford: How do you define success?

Michael McCleary: Find your purpose and passion. When you do that and find joy in your life, no matter what society may deem success for you, your life, that is success because you are doing what you are supposed to do.

In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Michael McCleary: It’s different for every one. Watch my film, An Anything But Ordinary Journey http:/www.anythingbutordinary.net. Yes, this is a bit of shameful self promotion, but the film follows my journey to find out what it really means to be successful and has so many nuggets of wisdom from a wide range of people. It answers this question.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Michael McCleary: The big thing was really to make a decision that I was going to commit to my career choice and continue to pursue it even when times were tough. By taking committed steps of action towards a goal, the path becomes clear, even when at first it doesn’t appear to be.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Michael McCleary: I recommend getting some work as a production assistant on various productions. Work for free and find out if you really like it. If you have an opportunity, I strongly recommend finding a quality film school. There is so much to learn. I’m blessed with a natural aptitude for this, but I really want to eventually go to school myself.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Michael McCleary: I’d ask mostly a lot of questions… My life has been one giant interview with people about success and life. This would be no different.

Mitch Albom – “For someone who has the success and fame you have achieved as a writer, author and personality, how do you manage to live such a fairly normal life and stay humble?”
Pope John Paul II – “What was your secret to moving almost a billion people in a positive direction, and do so with such humility and warmth?”
Elon Musk – “As the creator of PayPal, now SpaceX and Tesla Motors; how did you not only come up with these ideas, but follow through and actually create successful, growing organizations?”
Abraham Lincoln – “In the darkest days of the US Civil War where did you find your strength to continue moving forward? What was the secret of your personal success in one of the darkest times of US history??”
Sarah Palin – “Hire me, I’d be the best strategist you’ll ever find.”

Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply? Did you have an emotional or intellectual attachment to this book? Why?

NMichael McCleary: ow Boarding Next Stop Your Remarkable Life by Kandee G. I don’t just say this because my friend and mentor wrote the book but because it was one of the first self-help books that I’ve ever read that not only put large concepts in simple language but also did it in a clear and easily readable format.

Avil Beckford: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why? Summarize the book in two sentences.

Michael McCleary: This is hard because I only really like reading books once. I’d have to say The Bible, because I’ve never read it all the way through, second it’s has a diverse set of stories, concepts and ideas, third, it’s huge. I could meditate on many of the ideas therein for a long time. Otherwise, there is nothing that has caught my attention that I haven’t read that I want to. One other way to solve this would be to ask my friend Steve for recommendations on 4 other books, he’s a voracious reader and could pick some great ones for me.

Avil Beckford: Have you read any books that inspired you to start a business, service or invent “something”? If yes, which book?

Michael McCleary: Tony Robbins Unlimited Power really encouraged me to find my purpose and go after it. I’m definitely a Robbins fan.

Avil Beckford: What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?

Michael McCleary: My tastes constantly change, but right now for an album, independent rock group AG Silver and their album Wake Up and Smell Reality. Movie? I have so many favorites. Probably Star Wars, but that could change tomorrow.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Michael McCleary: I have an opportunity everyday to do something I love and to help change people’s lives and organizations for the better. Everyday brings something new. It brings new opportunities, friends and experiences. I can’t wait to see what will happen each day.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Michael McCleary: Simply taking time out and being with myself or sharing thoughts and ideas with friends. Simple conversation is very relaxing for my soul.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for? Or, if I gave you a magic wand, what would you use it for?

Michael McCleary: That everyone would find a POSITIVE purpose and passion in their life. If everyone could do that, there would be little need for arguments, wars and disagreements.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when.….

Michael McCleary: I hear that I did something to encourage someone else to pursue their passion.

How can you apply Michael’s interview? Which aspects resonated with you?

Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please comment. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed.

You can pre-order Anything But Ordinary by clicking here.

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Can a Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Make a Difference? Margaret Mead Thought So

Avil Beckford — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:30:05 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

A favourite quotation of many, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” by Margaret Mead (1901-1978) tells us that each of us can help to change the world if we get organized and focus our energies. A large group of people can have a big impact on a worthy cause, but in the absence of a large group of people, a smaller one can still have an impact so there is no reason for inaction.

We often think, “What can I do as one person?” but we should never doubt our capacity to make a difference in this world, even if it is one person at a time.

How do you interpret the above Margaret Mead quote? Do you agree with the quote? Have you ever organized a group of people for a cause that you were passionate about? If yes, what were the results?

Note: Based on what I have researched, I have written the following Meadisms. I am projecting what I think Margaret Mead would say. Mead was ahead of her time, and she often made those around her uncomfortable because of her beliefs and works. Mead was unconventional: She kept her maiden name after she was married, she proposed that students should be paid to go to college, some considered her first book Coming of Age in Samoa: A Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilisation (Perennial Classics), a “sexbook”.

Mentors: Ruth Benedict and Franz Boas

Her Calling: Anthropology

Distinction: First anthropologist to look at human development in a cross-cultural perspective

One Core Belief: “Cultural patterns of racism, warfare, and environmental exploitation [are] learned, and the members of a society could work together to modify their traditions and to construct new institutions.”

Quote Which Embodies Her Essence: “Anthropology demands the open-mindedness with which one must look and listen, record in astonishment and wonder that which one would not have been able to guess.” Margaret Mead

Margaret Meadisms: What Margaret Mead Would Blog About

Read an introductory book on anthropology to get an elementary understanding of the history of the cultural and biological diversity of people around the globe
Interact with people from other cultures to foster cultural harmony
Though what makes up being courteous, modest, having good manners, and definite ethical standards may differ around the world, they are universal characteristics in all cultures
Use video to accurately and neutrally record data
Integrate photography with your writing when possible
Share your knowledge, mentor someone today, and also seek out mentors for yourself
Be aware of what is going on around you so that you can understand trends, or even predict them
Do not let nay sayers slow you down, or affect what you do
Use your intellectual capacity to the fullest
Be generous, share your wealth, and support worthy causes
Each person has the capacity to teach and learn from another

What do you think of the above Meadisms? Which could you apply? In what ways are you a pioneer?

Sources:

Answers.com

Wikipedia

Women’s Intellectual Contributions to the Study of Mind and Society

Margaret Mead (1901-1978) An Anthropology of Human Freedom

For God’s Sake, Margaret (downes.ca)

Photo Credits: Public Domain, compliments Wikipedia

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