Stanley Hall Childhood

At the turn of the twentieth century the biological sciences changed to focus on describing, explaining, and prescribing norms for childhood behavior. Previously, many key authorities such as religious leaders, ministers, philosophers, artists, painters, novelists, and reformers weighed in to make this emergence of the child sciences possible. By the turn of the twentieth century, medical doctors and psychologist became the key figures. The field of pediatrics emerged this time because of an increased concern for the health of children due to the high infant mortality rate. By the end of the nineteenth century there was a major concern about breast-feeding that led to the development of pasteurized milk and emergence of pediatrics as a separate

He was a key figure in the developing the concept of childhood development during the nineteenth century. Hall was born in western Massachusetts in 1844, and was the most influential figure behind Williams James in the United Stated during this time (Ross 1972, xiii). Hall was particularly interested in the study of child nature and educational reform. He believed that the key to understanding child development lies in understanding the mind of the child, and placed child study at the center of his interest. A major part of his child study program was devoted to studying the physical development and health of the children because he believed that they were an essential foundation for proper mental development. As the child study movement progressed into the twentieth century, he focused his attention on adolescence and was interested in all of the aspects of their minds (Ross 1972, 281-293). With his findings, he then was able to prescribe specific ways in which adolescents should be educated. Although much of his studies were devoted to the study of male child development, he also made a significant point about how adolescent females should be educated in his two-volume study

Focusing on the stage of adolescence, he called for a break with traditional education during this stage. Hall characterized this stage of adolescence as the stage beginning with puberty, at around age thirteen or fourteen, and extending into the twenties, until sexual and social maturity was reached. During this time, public high school had begun to make their appearance after the Civil War and between 1880 and 1900 the number of schools increased by 750 percent. This dramatic increase resulted in chaos with the variety in curriculums and standards, and in 1854 a Committee of Ten outlined to the NEA a program a reform for secondary education. The committee’s purpose was to increase the level of high school work to a standard acceptance for entrance into college and to broaden the work beyond the preparatory courses such as mathematics and Latin Greek. Hall had a central objection against this committee: the subordination of the high schools as having their main goal as being entrance to college. To Hall, high schools should be tailored to the needs of adolescence. In high school, education must break away from drill and mechanisms and there must be an appeal to freedom and interest of the adolescents. In Adolescence, Hall emphasizes that the adolescents’ feelings should be nourished, but in a serious