Civilizing the Child: Discourses of Race, Nation, and Child Welfare in America

159 Pages·2014·3.595 MB·English

by  Katharine S. Bullard

Civilizing the Child

Civilizing the Child
Discources of Race, Nation, and Child
Welfare in America
Katharine S. Bullard
LEXINGTONBOOKS
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withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquote
passagesinareview.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Bullard,KatharineS.,1974-
Civilizingthechild:discoursesofrace,nation,andchildwelfareinAmerica/KatharineS.Bullard.
pagescm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-7391-7898-0(cloth:alk.paper)--ISBN978-0-7391-7899-7(electronic)
1.Childwelfare--UnitedStates--History.2.Immigrantchildren--Servicesfor--UnitedStates--Histo-
ry.3.Poorchildren--Servicesfor--UnitedStates--History.4.Childrenofminorities--Servicesfor--
UnitedStates--History.5.Racism--UnitedStates--History.I.Title.
HV741.B852014
362.70973--dc23
2013032401
TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsofAmerican
NationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary
Materials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1 SettlingtheWaifs:CharlesLoringBrace,theChildren’sAid
Society,andChristianExpansion 9
2 JacobRiis,SlumTourism,andCitizenship 41
3 ImmigrantNeighborhoods,SettlementHouses,andthe
CivilizingMission 75
4 TheRightsofAmericanChildren:SocialScience,Citizenship,
andtheChildren’sBureau 101
Epilogue 129
Bibliography 135
Index 147
v

Acknowledgments
ThisbookbeganasadissertationattheUniversityofIllinoismanyyearsago
and as such I have accumulated many debts in its inception and rebirth as a
bookmanuscript,includinginmycurrentpositionattheFairleighDickinson
University. Scholarly colleagues, including Antoinette Burton, Ruth Fair-
banks, Matt Gambino, Kristin Hoganson, Rose Holz, Mark Leff, Sonya
Michel,ElisaMiller,LeslieReagan,DavidRoediger,andKerryWynn,read
allorpartsofthemanuscriptatvariousstagesandprovidedpertinentadvice.
The very different expertise of my advisors, Antoinette Burton and Sonya
Michel, helped to shape this project from its very beginnings, pushing my
analysis further and insisting on high standards. As the dissertation evolved
into a book manuscript, Antoinette went above and beyond the call of duty
reading and commenting and encouraging me through publication. I also
appreciate the comments of the anonymous reviewer for Lexington Books
whohelpedmeattheveryendofthisprojecttoensurethebookwasthebest
itcouldbe.
In my faculty position at Fairleigh Dickinson University, I received ap-
preciated course release from University College to help with the research
andwritingofCivilizingtheChild.IamfortunateatFDUtohaveadiverse,
exhilarating group of students whose ideas helped shape this project even if
theywerenotawareofit.Mycolleagues,insidethedepartmentandoutside,
werealsowonderfullysupportive.
My two amazing daughters, Miriam and Iris, shaped this book and my
thinking about childhood in general. I want to thank the staff of the Meekel
ChildCareCenterandsomeincrediblebabysittersforenablingmetobeable
todothiswork.
Teaching,research,writing,andalloftheregularworkofdailylifewere
madepossibleandmorepleasurablebymyfamilyandmywonderfulfriends.
vii
viii Acknowledgments
Thank you to Ed, Sarah, Sally, David, Jackee and Alex for support and
understandingfortheduration.TheDePete/Burke/McMahonextendedfami-
lyandLouandtheirchildrenhavemademyfamily’slifeandminesomuch
richerandmorefunandIthankthemforit.
LastlyIwouldliketothankmyhusband,StormHeter.Hehasbeenthere
since I began this project, and without his support the project would have
been abandoned long ago. I have benefited immensely from his insights on
myworkandhispresenceinmylife.Idedicatethisbooktohim.
Sections of chapter 4 were previously published under the title “Children’s
Future, Nation’s Future: Race, Citizenship and the U.S. Children’s Bureau”
in Raising Citizens in the “Century of the Child”: The United States and
GermanCentralEuropeinComparativePerspectivespublishedbyBergahn
Books(2010).
The photographs in chapter 2 are courtesy of the Museum of the City of
NewYork.