Title: Speech and Audience Questions with Benjamin Spock
Inclusive Dates: 1972

Creator:

• Spock, Benjamin, 1903-1998

Call Number: Audio 811A

Quantity: 1 tape recording

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Library-Archives Division

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Speech and audience questions, October 4, 1972, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by Benjamin Spock, the well-known pediatrician, author, and anti-war activist during the course of his People's Party Presidential campaign. The tape includes an explanation of the party platform and a defense of his views on family life and child rearing against criticism from feminists in the audience.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-audi00811a

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Background

In 1972, Dr. Benjamin Spock, by then famous as both an anti-Vietnam War activist and a pediatrician, ran for President of the United States on the ticket of the People's Party. The party called for radical reduction in the scale of everyday institutions of life--government, education, and social services particularly--and for equally dramatic retrenchment of American military and diplomatic interests abroad. This tape was made on October 4, 1972, by Jane Roth, State Historical Society of Wisconsin field representative, when Dr. Spock visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Memorial Union during his campaign.

About three-quarters of Dr. Spock's appearance was devoted to questions from the audience and Dr. Spock's sometimes discursive answers. This exchange was advertised beforehand as "The Women Confront Dr. Spock," and the audience did raise several questions about Dr. Spock's philosophy of family life and child development. The question-and-answer session was preceded by a ten-minute presentation in which Dr. Spock defended himself against prior charges that he encouraged uncritical acceptance of traditional sex roles in his famous manual, Baby and Child Care, and in a later book, Decent and Indecent (1970). The first five minutes of the tape apparently were recorded in a different room just before the advertised appearance. The second half of the tape is given over to questions and answers concerning the campaign platform of the People's Party. Dr. Spock proves to have been a practiced spokesman for one of the prominent strands of reform philosophy that underlay the political and social opposition movements of the Vietnam War years.

The Social Action Collection of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin includes many audio tapes of speeches, meetings, public gatherings, and other events that do not conform to the format of the one-on-one oral history interview. This tape is one of the first to have been abstracted by using the TAYE processing method modified to suit less standard and predictable formats than the structured interview.

Introduction to Abstract

The tape of this presentation has two tracks: a voice track containing the presentation itself and a time track containing time announcements at intervals of approximately five seconds. The abstract lists, in order of discussion, the topics covered on each tape, and indicates the time-marking at which point the beginning of the particular segment appears. For example, the first page of the abstract lists the content of the first seventeen minutes and thirty seconds of side one. The numbers (time-markings) on the left margin indicate the point on the second track of the tape where presentation of the distinct topic listed in capital letters begins.

Thus, the researcher by using a tape recorder's fast-forward button may find expeditiously and listen to discrete segments without listening to all of the taped presentation. For instance, the user who wishes to listen to the remarks about “Women and Child-Rearing” should locate the place on the second track of side one where the voice announces the 10:00 time marking (the voice says at this point, “ten minutes”), and at this point switch to the first track to hear the commentary. The discussion on “Women and Child-Rearing” continues until approximately 12:05, at which point the next topic (“Recantation of Earlier Views”) begins.

Notice that in many cases sentences beneath each headline explain more about the content of the topic. For example the sentences underneath “Women and Child-Rearing” give further details on what appears on the tape between 10:00 and 12:05.

Statements, questions, and answers that have been transcribed verbatim from the tape to the abstract are given in quotation marks. Other entries in the abstract are either paraphrases or condensed topical statements. At certain points the abstract may give the researcher information about the quality of the sound on the tape, the identity of a speaker, the continuity of a discussion or answer, or other aspects of the recorded presentation as they occur. Information of this kind appears in brackets.

The abstract is designed to provide a brief outline of the content of the tapes and cannot serve as a substitute for listening to them. However, the abstract will help the researcher easily locate distinct topics among the many minutes of presentation.

Acquisition Information

Recorded by the Historical Society staff, 1972. Accession Number: M72-369

Processing Information

Abstracted by Thomas S. Flory, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, May 5, 1980.

Audio 811A Tape/Side   1/1 Time   00:00	Introduction
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   00:30	How Spock Became a Peace Activist Scope and Content Note: Initial reluctance. Campaigned for Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Two years later broke with Johnson over Vietnam War. “Energized” by arrest as peace demonstrator.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   03:50	Why Spock is in Madison Scope and Content Note: Relationship between Wisconsin Alliance and People's Party. Madison feminists' interest in him.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   04:30	Comments on Bad Personal Reputation among Feminists Scope and Content Note: Recent reactions to his book Decent and Indecent and article in Redbook magazine. His views about inborn differences in temperament between men and women were misunderstood. When he wrote, ideas about inborn differences were common. Spock has often worked as subordinate to women.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   07:40	Teaching in Medical School Scope and Content Note: His job to keep male medical students from becoming depersonalized by the usual curriculum. Stressed family atmosphere and personal approach to medical practice.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   10:00	Women and Child-Rearing Scope and Content Note: He showed his sexism when he told parents to encourage girls to value child-rearing. Should have said boys and girls. In the past he assumed women alone would sacrifice careers for family: the general view of the time.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   12:05	Recantation of Earlier Views Scope and Content Note: His recent articles in New York Times Magazine and Redbook and revisions of his books stress shared responsibility in child-rearing.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   15:45	Call for Questions from Audience
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   16:00	Comment from Audience: Spock's Books Not Sexist For Reflecting Prevailing Attitudes
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   16:50	Question: What Would Be Effects on Children of Equally Shared Parenting?
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   17:30	Answer: No Harmful Effects Scope and Content Note: In most societies fathers visible to children most of the time: important to all children, but especially to boys. Spock's early views on sex roles reflected his insecurity as male and his psychiatric training. Now feels different domestic functions for sexes unnecessary.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   21:45	Question: Why Should Boys Identify with Father and Girls with Mother?
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   21:50	Answer: Unhealthy Consequences of Reverse Identification Scope and Content Note: His clinical observation: healthy identifications are between parents and children of same sex. Should be no discrimination against males with predominantly feminine identifications or vice versa. His political and clinical opinions differ.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   25:00	Question: What is Spock's Position on Abortion?
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   25:00	Answer: Abortion Not the Business of the State Scope and Content Note: Defends abortion for those who choose it. Not the ideal means of family limitation.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   25:35	Question: What is Effect of Communal Living on Child Development?
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   26:05	Answer: No Personal Experience from Which to Judge Scope and Content Note: Nuclear family is limiting; sense of community needed. Convenient if mother wants to go out to work; other women can care for her children.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   27:55	Comment from Audience: “Interesting that You Said 'Other Women'” Would Care for her Children
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   28:05	Reply: The Habit of a 69-Year-Old Man
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   28:20	[Returns to Answer Begun at 26:05] Scope and Content Note: Most important that children know who mother and father are. Communes are short-lived; members come and go. This can be damaging to children.
Tape/Side   1/1 Time   31:05	End of Side 1
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   00:00	Introduction
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   00:30	[Continuation of Answer at 28:20, Side 1]
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   01:00	Call for Questions on Politics
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   01:10	Question: What Makes People's Party Different From Democratic Party? Scope and Content Note: People's Party founded 1963 from state groups. Building new movement is long-term project: party has little money or influence with media. Local elections more important than national. Concern with community organizing as much as with electoral politics.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   04:25	[Answer Continues] People's Party Platform Scope and Content Note: Withdrawal of U.S. forces from all over world. Close all tax loop-holes. Make income tax highly progressive. Eliminate property and sales taxes.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   07:45	Question: How Large Would Basic Family Allowances Favored by People's Party Be? What is Party's Position on Legal Status of Drugs?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   07:55	Answer: Minimum Family Incomes of $6500 per Year Should Be Guaranteed. Party Favors Decriminalization of Marijuana Scope and Content Note: Consensus of People's Party for something like English system of treating heroin addiction. But much disagreement on this issue.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   10:05	Question: [Question indistinct. Relates to Treatment of Mental Patients]
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   10:20	Answer: People's Party Has No Electoral Plank on that Issue Scope and Content Note: Good free care is most important.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   10:40	Democratic Participation in People's Party Scope and Content Note: Diversity makes consensus on all issues impossible.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   11:25	Question: [Same Questioner as at 10:05, Side 2.] What Are Spock's Views on Accepted Definitions of Mental Illness?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   11:40	Answer: Disagrees with Most Standards of Normality
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   12:30	Question: Does People's Party Favor Amnesty for Draft Evaders?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   12:35	Answer: Yes. Scope and Content Note: Prefers “repatriation” to “amnesty”: latter implies forgiveness of mistakes. Government made mistakes, not draft evaders. Favors war crimes trials for members of Johnson Administration. Personal animosity toward Johnson.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   15:10	Question: Would McGovern End Vietnam War?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   15:30	Answer: Yes. But Many Differences between Democrats and People's Party Scope and Content Note: People's Party would end discrimination against minorities and end free enterprise economics. Industry should be designed to improve quality of life. Not nationalization but neighborhood control.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   20:25	[Answer Continues] Neighborhood Control Scope and Content Note: Consistent theme in People's Party platform. Neighborhoods should control government, police, health facilities, integrated schools. Student and faculty control of universities.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   24:05	Question: What is Mood of Country?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   24:30	Answer: Evidence of Increasing Protest Scope and Content Note: Evidence: enthusiasm for George Wallace; increase in number of political independents.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   25:15	[Answer Continues] Criticism of Richard Nixon Scope and Content Note: Nixon tries to “scapegoat the poor” for his failures. Corporate greed, not welfare, responsible for high taxes. Nixon's resistance to busing is racist. Personal remarks about Nixon.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   27:55	Question: Isn't People's Party Appealing to Privileged Intellectuals?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   28:15	Answer: Necessary to do so Temporarily Scope and Content Note: People's Party will eventually have to involve workers.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   28:50	Question: Isn't a Vote for People's Party Wasted?
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   29:10	Answer: An Independent Movement is Necessary Scope and Content Note: Vote for established parties is wasted. Spock more interested in calling attention to the movement than in getting votes.
Tape/Side   1/2 Time   30:15	End of Presentation and Responses to Questions