Bateson, Gregory

Bateson, Gregory

(1904–80) cultural anthropologist; born in Grantchester, England. A scientist's son, he studied biology and psychology before turning to anthropology at Cambridge University in England. He emigrated to the United States and made his career there. His first major work, Naven, a study of ritual and symbolism based on fieldwork in New Guinea, appeared in 1936. With Margaret Mead, to whom he was married (1936–50), he was involved in the culture and personality movement. He later studied problems of communication and learning among aquatic mammals and human schizophrenics and published his final work, Mind and Nature, in 1978.