EVANGELICAL CHILDREARING IN THE AGE OF JACKSON: FRANCIS WAYLAND'S VIEWS ON WHEN AND HOW TO SUBDUE THE WILLFULNESS OF CHILDREN

• Published in: Journal of social history Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 21 - 34
• Main Author: McLoughlin, William G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.1975
• Subjects: Child/Children/Childhood; Childrearing; Evangelism/Evangelical
• ISSN: 0022-4529

ACCEPTED CHILDREARING PRACTICES AMONG EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS IN THE US IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY INCLUDED SEVERE PARENTAL DISCIPLINE (USUALLY BUT NOT ALWAYS BY THE FATHER) OF THE INFANT CHILD. THIS DISCIPLINE COMMONLY TOOK PLACE WHEN THE INFANT WAS BETWEEN 6 & 18 MONTHS OLD. A SPECIFIC CASE OF SUCH DISCIPLINE BY THE REV. FRANCIS WAYLAND, PRESIDENT OF BROWN U, & A NOTED AUTHOR ON EDUCATIONAL MATTERS, UPON HIS OWN SON AT THE AGE OF 15 MONTHS IS EXAMINED IN DETAIL. FURTHER MATERIAL, FROM CONTEMPORARY JOURNALS & CITATIONS FROM THE LETTERS OF WAYLAND'S CHILDREN LATER IN THEIR LIVES, IS USED TO SUGGEST THAT SUCH INTENSIVE EFFORTS TO 'BREAK THE WILL' OF STUBBORN CHILDREN WERE JUSTIFIED BY EVANGELICAL RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS WHEN CALVINISTIC THEOLOGY WAS BEING REPLACED BY ARMINIAN THEOLOGY. CHANGING POLITICAL & ECONOMIC PATTERNS OF LIFE IN THE US AT THIS TIME CONTRIBUTED TO FEARS THAT 'WILLFUL' CHILDREN WOULD GROW UP TO BE DANGEROUS CITIZENS. CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCED SUCH TRAUMATIC INFANT EXPERIENCES MAY HAVE UNDERGONE A 'REACTION FORMATION' WHICH TRANSFORMED THEIR RAGE & HATRED INTO INTENSIVE FILIAL PIETY & REVERENCE FOR PARENTS & OTHER AUTHORITY FIGURES. CULTURAL HISTORIANS ARE URGED TO EXAMINE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS SYNDROME IN STUDYING US SOCIAL HISTORY. IN A CASE OF CONVICTION: COMMENTS LEWIS P. LIPSETT (BROWN U, PROVIDENCE RI), DISCUSSES THE APPENDIX 1 PAPERS OF FRANCIS WAYLAND, DESCRIBING HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE 15 MONTH OLD HEMAN. DESPITE WAYLAND'S RATIONALIZATION THAT WHAT HE WAS DOING TO 'BREAK THE CHILD'S WILL' WAS NECESSARY FOR HIS SON'S CHARACTER, WHAT WAYLAND EFFECTIVELY CARRIED OUT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OPERANT-CONDITIONING TECHNIQUE USED BY ANIMAL TRAINERS. LATER MANIFESTATIONS OF REMORSE & LOVE DESCRIBED BY WAYLAND IN REGARD TO HEMAN'S BEHAVIOR, WERE MOST PROBABLY TERROR- INDUCED. LATER WRITINGS OF HEMAN & DOCUMENTED ACCOUNTS OF HIS ACTION POINT TO A DOGGED CLOSENESS TO THE MASTER--& GUILT OVER REPRESSED HOSTILITY TOWARD HIM. APPENDIX. MODIFIED AA.