Benjamin Spock
Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903 – March 15, 1998) was an American pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care (1946) is one of the best-sellers of all time. The book said to mothers "you know more than you think you do".[1]
Benjamin Spock | |
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Born | Benjamin McLane Spock May 2, 1903 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
Died | March 15, 1998 La Jolla, California, U.S. | (aged 94)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Yale University Columbia University MD |
Awards | E. Mead Johnson Award (1948) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Pediatrics, Psychoanalysis |
Institutions | Mayo Clinic 1947–1951 University of Pittsburgh 1951–1955 Case Western Reserve University 1955–1967 |
Signature | |
Medal record | ||
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Men's rowing | ||
Competitor for the United States | ||
Olympic Games | ||
Gold | 1924 Paris | Eight |
Spock was the first pediatrician to study psychoanalysis to try to understand children's needs. His ideas influenced parents to be more flexible and affectionate with their children, and to treat them as individuals. However, his theories were also widely criticized by colleagues. According to the critics, he relied too heavily on anecdotal evidence rather than serious academic research.[2]
Spock was regarded as a radical during the troubled times of the Vietnam War.[3]
Spock won an Olympic gold medal in rowing in 1924 while attending Yale University.
References
- ↑ Hidalgo, Louise (23 August 2011). "Dr Spock's Baby and Child Care at 65". BBC.
- ↑ Maier, Thomas. 1998. Doctor Spock: an American life. NY: Harcourt Brace, p260.
- ↑ Bloom, Lynn Z. 1972. Doctor Spock: biography of a conservative radical. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.