Review of Infant and Child in the Culture of Today

• Published in: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 1943-04, Vol.13 (2), p.368-369
• Main Author: Wile, Ira S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Childhood Development; Childhood Play Behavior; Human; Infant Development; Orthopsychiatry; Social Behavior; Sociocultural Factors
• ISSN: 0002-9432; 1939-0025
• DOI: 10.1037/h0097416

Reviews the book, Infant and Child in the Culture of Today by Arnold Gesell and Frances L. Ilg (see record 1943-15073-000). This is a popularized practical version of the Yale experience with an interpretation of child development and nursery guidance. The book is devoted to children of pre-school age, whose behavior profiles are presented in generic terms with informal discussion of the specific daily variations. This is not a book of dogmatic concepts or bolstered theory, but a carefully planned presentation of the factual experience of the authors and their appreciation of the frequency of specific variations in behavior. Concrete suggestions for guidance are occasionally made but, in general, the context and arrangement of data merely place growth and development in social as well as biological perspective. The appendices are particularly rich in suggestions concerning the organization of the Yale guidance nursery, the age period allocation of books, toys, play equipment and musical records. Noteworthy are the end papers figured with 65 realistic photographs assembled to show the progressive development during the first five years of life. They detail postural, manipulative, play, and social behavior. This book was not written for orthopsychiatrists, it is a volume with which they should be familiar in order to give it the commendation it merits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)