 The
American Journal of Evaluation
Evaluation
of The Salzburg Seminar
Margaret Mead is one of the most visible figures
in the social sciences in the last century.
She is arguably the most famous anthropologist
who has ever lived. The accompanying article
describes a previously hidden aspect of Mead’s
professional work: program evaluator.
Several major scholars, including Donald Campbell,
Lee Cronbach and Ralph Tyler, have played
an important role in the field of evaluation.
This article adds Mead to the circle of noteworthies
whose work has included efforts to improve
and assess social and educational programs
and policies.
As detailed in the accompanying article from
the American Journal of Evaluation,
Craig Russon and Timothy Ryback have uncovered
an evaluation report written by the Mead about
the first Salzburg Seminar. The Salzburg Seminar
was initiated by a small group of Harvard
students in the wake of World War II. It was
designed as a seminar on American culture
for European students. Russon and Ryback provide
historical context and a description of the
initial Salzburg Seminar. Mead’s original
evaluation report then follows.
Mead’s newly discovered evaluation
work highlights the importance of evaluation
as an area of professional practice. Her methods
choices foreshadow debates that continue today.
Mead’s decision to apply her energies
to the evaluation of the Salzburg Seminar
brings to mind one of her quotes, one which
explains the motivation of many evaluators:
“I was brought up to believe that the
only thing worth doing was to add to the sum
of accurate information in the world.”
Melvin M. Mark, Editor, American Journal
of Evaluation
American Journal of
Evaluation, Volume 24, Issue 1
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