Walden Two by B.F. Skinner ©1948
Chapter 17, p131-132
This novel describes a fictional utopian community designed around
behaviorist principles. One of its most controversial aspects is the
communal raising of children (daycare)… |
"What about the children?" I said. "The group care (day care) we saw this morning must
also weaken the relation between parent and child."
"It does. By design. We have to attenuate the child-parent relation for
several reasons…
Our goal is to have every adult member of Walden Two regard all our children
as his own, and to have every child think of every adult as his parent. To
this end we have made it bad taste to single out one's own child for special
favors. |
|
Walden Two by B.F. Skinner
©1948,
P133
|
"The weakening of the relation between parent and child (from day-care) is valuable in other
ways," Frazier continued…
That's what I meant when I said that experiments in selective breeding would
eventually be possible in Walden Two. The hereditary connection will be
minimized to the point of being forgotten. Long before that, it will be
possible to breed through artificial insemination…(and) …have children
according to a genetic plan." |
The Giver by Lois Lowry © 1993, P 11
Twelve-year-old Jonas discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world
and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. The author examines
the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order
to create a more stable society. |
...all the newchildren* born in the previous
year turned One. One at a time...they had been brought to the stage by
the Nurturers (childcare workers) who had cared for them (24 hours a day)
since birth.
*Newchildren - children born to the community
by a "Birthmother". |
|
The Giver by Lois Lowry © 1993, P 22 |
…”the
Birthmothers never even get to see newchildren. If you enjoy the little
ones so much, you should hope for an Assignment as Nurturer (childcare
worker)." |
|
The Giver by Lois Lowry © 1993, P 22 |
It
wasn’t at all hard to spot the Nurturers’ (child caregivers’) section at the
front; coming from it were the wails and howls of the newchildren who sat
squirming on the Nurturers’ laps. |
